Tough time for Mirfin on long road back to fitness

The Mansfield Town defender has been sidelined since Stags’ Checkatrade Trophy game at Blackpool on Wednesday, 6th December and it has been a long, slow road back.

“I had my operation on 21st December and I have been doing a lot of rehab work since then,” he said.

“After the op is was eight weeks fully non-weight bearing on crutches until the work that had been done healed properly.

“It’s been a steady progression since then, almost learning how to walk properly again.

“That’s built up to now, running on grass, which has been the main aim for the last six to eight weeks. Hopefully I can build on that now while I am here.”

Mirfin is enjoying being back around his team mates on this week’s Portugal training camp.

“It’s been very, very frustrating. It’s the worst thing for any footballer to be injured for this length of time,” he said.

“But I have had a great team around me in terms of medical staff and the lads have been brilliant as well. It’s been good this week to be around them full-time again.

“We have just got to see how it reacts this week. The older you get the more you realise how lucky you are to play football for a living and it does make you want to get back even more.

“I am enjoying it here. It’s a different environment to what I am used to, which is the reason why you come on these trips.”