'Excited' Nolan feels fit and ready for action after recovering from ACL injury

Ryan Nolan feels back to '100 per cent' and ready for competitive action again after recovering from his ACL injury.

The 23-year-old was playing for Getafe in December 2020 when he sustained the injury and subsequently missed over a year of football.

However, after a few weeks training with the Cobblers, and having played in a behind-closed-doors friendly, he feels back to full fitness.

"Obviously the injury was just bad luck," he said. "It's been a hard year trying to get back to 100 per cent but I have put a lot of hours and hard work into it and I feel great again.

"Training has been going really well and I feel up to speed and back to 100 per cent and I just can't wait to get back into playing matches and enjoying football."

Going into more detail on the injury, Nolan added: "You see other players get an ACL injury but you never think it's going to happen to you.

"It's just so innocuous and you go from training every day to not even being able to walk and mentally that is very tough.

"You have the operation and you do your recovery work but you see the lads training and playing matches and you're on crutches, its frustrating.

"It takes a lot of time and you have to be mentally and physically strong and I also had a lot of family helping me.

"I'm quite strong-minded so I knew I would get through it. It wasn't easy but I definitely think I have come out stronger, especially mentally because there's not anything worse in football."

Jon Brady has suggested Nolan will head out on loan before the end of the season.

"The team is going very well so obviously I need to bide my time to get into the team and not rush things," Nolan added.

"I need to train well and show the manager that I'm ready whenever he needs me.

"But I'm just very excited for the challenge ahead."