Morpeth Town have received a further injury boost as midfielder Stephen Turnbull was given the green light to return to full training.
It has been a long road to recovery for the former Blyth Spartan, who had only made four appearances for the club prior to damaging his anterior cruciate ligaments in a 1-0 win over Blyth AFC last season.
Unable to drive home following the game, Turnbull was assessed, operated on and carried out extensive rehabilitation to reach this point.
The midfielder himself was delighted with the news, joining defender Chris Reid in nearing a return to first-team action.
“I’m absolutely buzzing and can’t thank Shawzy (Steven Shaw, sports therapist) Nick (Gray, manager) and Ken (Beattie, manager) enough for how I’ve been looked after,” said Turnbull.
“There’s not many clubs, if any, who would treat their player, who really they had no loyalty to as I’d only just signed, the way I’ve been treated. I was unlucky to do my knee but I was very lucky I did it at the club I did because from the minute I did it I’ve been looked after unbelievably. That ranges from Nick ringing me the next morning after the injury and after my operation, or Shawzy being at the gym every time he could be, or Ken paying for it privately.”
A man with the inside track on Turnbull’s torturous rehabilitation, Shaw was full of praise for the midfielder’s desire and determination to get back as quickly as possible.
“Twinny has been in the gym with me since the day after his surgery in December,” said Shaw.
“He’s been in a minimum of three days a week since then and sometimes as many as five or six; he’s worked his backside off and, bar a break for his wedding, it has been relentless. It’s a good job we get on or we’d be sick of the sight of each other!
“It’s not that he doesn’t have to go to the gym now, it’s important that continues, but it’s very much football based now and it’s definitely the bit he’ll enjoy the most.
“I’m still not putting a date out for when he’ll be back playing; he’ll be back when he’s back and it’ll be without fanfare. However, it will be sooner rather than later.”
