The whole inspiration behind making this documentary has been drawn from my own experiences as a player who has suffered from this injury.
I know the firsthand frustration of having the one thing that you're passionate about be snatched out of your control, and in the hands of other people.
My return to playing solely relied on the doctor that reassured me that my ligaments were 'fine', the radiologists that viewed my scan, the surgeon that explained to me how my procedure would be executed. It's all a waiting game, and as the documentary started to progress, my surgery date seemed just within my reach.
I remember when I received the phone call to confirm by operation. The 4th of December 2020. The day the light at the end of the tunnel would suddenly shine through. Or so I thought.
A spanner in the works
Nothing is ever that simple though, especially not during a global pandemic. Much to my misfortune, I contracted corona virus in November. I was happy that my symptoms were relatively mild compared to sum, but I was unaware of the knock on effect it would have as the year went on.
In the days leading up to my surgery I was overwhelmed. Nervous about the prospect of being put under, excited about the road to recovery on the other side, and grateful that it was still going ahead as planned despite the immense pressure within the NHS.
However it took an unexpected turn. Less than 24 hours before my surgery I was called by a member of hospital staff to inform me that my pre-operation covid swab had come back positive, despite it being almost 5 weeks since I had contracted the virus, and my surgery was cancelled.
Shocked doesn't even begin to articulate my emotions. I was told that the virus can remain in your system for months, even though you are not contagious. Hospital guidelines had a zero tolerance policy to this, understandably, but it was tough to get my head around.
Onwards and upwards
I am now back on the waiting list for surgery and my fate lies in the hands of the NHS, which seems to be more and more overwhelmed by the grievous covid surge the new year has endured.
I'm a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason, so all I can do is sit tight and rest assured that I will eventually get my date and return to playing when the time is right.
Although I'm disappointed I couldn't include my recovery in my documentary, It had enabled me to expend even more time and energy into the project than I ever envisioned, and for that I am grateful.