Source: Team_Talk
Faddy feared career was over
James McFadden is delighted to be back at Everton having been told by a surgeon earlier this year that his career could be over.[LNB] McFadden played his first match in 13 months on Tuesday afternoon when he had 45 minutes for the Toffees' reserves against Sunderland.[LNB]But the situation looked much bleaker towards the end of last season when he broke down in his rehabilitation from surgery on a cruciate knee ligament injury.[LNB]Following Birmingham's relegation from the Premier League they decided not to extend his contract and McFadden was left to consider his future.[LNB]"I was training in March and then broke down again and when I spoke to the surgeon he said my time might be up. That was hard to take," said the 28-year-old.[LNB]"Birmingham had a two-year option on me but decided not to take it, which was fair enough.[LNB]"It was hard that I didn't know when I was going to get back playing.[LNB]"I think you have to take every day as it comes. It was one of those where the specialist kept saying 'Come back and see me and we will see where you are every month or so.'[LNB]"Thankfully every time I went back there was improvement and he was happy enough for me to return to training.[LNB]"It has worked out for the best. I'll just move on now and try to be fit and ready to play games."[LNB]McFadden's last match was in September 2010 and he admits being sidelined for so long was tough.[LNB]"It was really hard mentally trying to come to terms with not even playing in the foreseeable future," he added.[LNB]"I didn't watch a lot of football last year because of it but I knuckled down and worked hard on my rehabilitation.[LNB]"Hopefully in the next couple of months I'll see the benefits of the hard work I have put in in the gym in the last 13 months.[LNB]"It has been a hard year but it is funny when you are the end of that year it doesn't seem that long."[LNB]The Scot returns to Everton three years after leaving in a £5million transfer to Birmingham in the search for regular first-team football.[LNB]He had offers from Wolves and Celtic but opted to return to a place he was familiar with.[LNB]"There were a couple of offers but there was some messing about and Everton came in and made a proper offer," he said.[LNB]"It is like coming home. I know the place, the staff and the players.[LNB]"I came here when I was just a kid. I started to grow here and I went on to try to better myself and play consistently in the Premier League.[LNB]"Hopefully I've come back a better player."[LNB]McFadden does not feel he has a point to prove to anyone, either inside or outside the club, in his second spell at Goodison Park.[LNB]"The manager asked me to come in and help because they were short on numbers and if that was not the case maybe this wouldn't be happening," he added.[LNB]"It is up to me to grab the chance and to show a bit of faith in the manager and show the fans I am good enough to play for Everton again.[LNB]"I am coming here to get fit, get playing and try to enjoy my football and hopefully secure a longer-term contract[LNB]"You get criticism in everything you do but I need to prove to myself I can come back and do as well if not better than before.[LNB]"I am not on any mission to prove anyone wrong."
