Nothing stopping Walsall's Liam Gordon after injury nightmare

The 23-year-old signed for the Saddlers at the end of May but an injury shock, alongside medical mistakes, saw him sidelined until September.

Now, Gordon has spoken of the mental battle of staying in hospital, having three surgeries in five days and wondering whether his career was over.

“It could have been life changing for me, but I’m trying to put it behind me now and move forward,” he said.

“I had acute compartment syndrome and I got a misdiagnosis on it initially and if I had rested it for the time I was told to, I probably would have lost my leg. That’s as serious as it gets.

“But now I’m fighting fit and nothing is going to stop me.

“Mentally it was the hardest. Physically there was nothing to do, I was just in a hospital bed and didn’t feel much. But mentally it was draining, especially being in a new club and not knowing anyone and then being told I’ll be out. I had to get my head around that.

“When I came back that was when I realised the biggest mental challenge. I couldn’t move my foot or walk properly and that’s when it sunk in that I might not play again or be what I was before.

“My family and friends helped. My mum came up from London and stayed with me, so she was by my side when she could be, but I was in a hospital where someone caught Covid so she couldn’t come visit at one point. The gaffer called me on the day it happened and offered to come straight to the hospital. All the physios stayed in touch too, everyone at the club was so supportive so I have to thank them.”

Gordon started in the win over Harrogate on Tuesday and scored the second of three goals in a superb performance.

“To get my first professional goal, I couldn’t be happier,” he added. “A couple of the boys have been giving me stick saying they didn’t expect it from me, but it was a good strike and I’m just happy it went in. It’s been a matter of belief and getting my rhythm. I’ve been out for a while and I came in at Stockport, but it wasn’t one of my best games. I can admit that myself, I wasn’t at the pace.

“I played a reserve game and then played the game against MK Dons and it was about finding my rhythm, which is allowing me to get back to what I can do best.”