Star stopper Clint Bolton is counting down the days until his return to the park as the former Socceroo recovers from shoulder surgery.
Star stopper Clint Bolton is counting down the days until his return to the park as the former Socceroo recovers from shoulder surgery.
Bolton went under the knife to repair damage sustained during the closing stages of last season, and is currently in the midst of a recovery program to return to match fitness for the upcoming campaign in October.
And nearly three months in, Bolton is confident he is on track to return to the training paddock sooner rather than later.
“I had shoulder surgery as soon as the season finished. It all went well and I-m into recovery at the moment and it-s all on track. It-s going to be a lengthy process, it-s probably going to take most of the pre-season, but I-m in no rush, and it-s feeling strong,” Bolton said.
“It will be a couple of months before I-m diving around again but it-s not getting me down. I haven-t had many injuries through my career so it-s pretty new to be honest.
“There are moments when you are in the gym and you get sick of it and want to be out on the park, but nothing too major, and I-m sure once the season starts in October, I-ll be ready and flying.”
While Bolton played through his injury during numerous outings last season, it certainly appeared to have little effect on his performances, with the 35-year old claiming Heart-s inaugural Player of the Year award.
“I think if you asked most players I grew up with, (playing with injury) is something you get used to. Hopefully, you can look back on the season and be happy with what you-ve done,” Bolton said.
“I-ve been happy with what I-ve contributed this season. A few moments here and there I would have like to change obviously, but overall, I-m happy with where things are. To be recognised as Player of the Year is the icing on the cake.”
