Michael Meehan revealed after Galway’s victory in Hyde Park last Sunday that he was taking painkillers twice a day last season to combat his chronic ankle problem.
It has been a long road back from injury for Meehan, who made a really positive contribution on his introduction last weekend, scoring 0-2 and setting up a goal for Gary Sice.
The Caltra star admitted he is a good bit away from playing a full 70 minute intercounty game, but he is glad to have taken the biggest step yet away from those dark days last year.
"I still have to take a little bit for match day," he admitted about the painkillers. "There was a time last summer that it was crazy. I didn’t like what I was doing, having to take them a couple of times a day, every day. That’s not good long term. I’m happy I don’t have to do that now."
Meehan hopes to play the full hour in Caltra’s championship game against Claregalway this Sunday.
With a series of ankle, shoulder, and knee problems, he has not played a full game since lining out against Cork in the 2010 Allianz League. While he is more than keen to return to a fuller role for club and county, he has learned over the past few years to be patient.
"I’m hoping as the summer wears on that I’ll build up a tolerance," he said.
Meehan was also confident enough to kick the ball from the ground when converting a free from his trusty left boot.
"That’s part of my game. It’s all duck or no dinner, whatever way you want to put it. It’s part of my game. I can’t practice as much as I used to. I’m hoping I can get back to the standard that I was in time. I’m not rushing.
"But I’m training more than I ever did. It’s putting in time, but it’s not running around the pitch training. It’s rehab. It’s stretching. It’s working with the physio or rehab coach. That side to it is huge for me now."
After so long on the sidelines, he’s happy right now to be making some sort of a playing contribution.
"You just want to help out, because all last year and the summer before, I was looking in. Things weren’t going well and all you wanted to do was try to improve things. That’s all I’m still trying to do."
If he can stay injury free, and based on his cameo role last weekend, he will certainly do that as the summer progresses.
