Targeting end of the season for a West Ham return

I´m pleased with the way my ankle surgery went and how I´m feeling. I was feeling pretty down at first, when all I could do was sit at home, but luckily that only lasted for two weeks.

My spirits are a lot higher now I´m off my crutches – I´ve been off them for a week, which is a good sign. I am working hard at my rehab already and I feel like I am on the way back.

The worst bit is over. It´s so good to be active. I´ve started cycling and swimming again already, which bodes well for my recovery time. I´ll be up at Total Fitness in Manchester again over the next few weeks. I´ve spent a lot of time doing physio there in the past. The facilities are great for an injury like this.

I have had ankle problems in the past but I´m not sure if this is a flare-up of the old injury, even though it is the same ankle I broke in England training. I don’t know if it was the recent sprain that exacerbated it either. It´s not anything that can be explained to be honest. Basically there were pieces of bone floating around inside my ankle and they had to come out. Surgery was the only option.

I saw James Calder, the ankle specialist here in England. I´ve also seen Van Dyke in Holland. He did the surgery on Cristiano Ronaldo´s ankle over the summer. So I have been in good hands.

The papers have said I´ll be returning in March but I don’t know where they have got that from. I haven’t been given a date myself yet. It´s more a case of it being at the end of the season and I´ll be really happy if I can play my part in the team then. That’s looking more likely at the moment.

The club have been very supportive. Zola has been really good. He´s rung up to wish me well. He´s been a real gentleman about it all. It´s just a small thing but it´s just nice for me to know I´m in the manager´s thoughts.

I´ll probably go down to Upton Park this weekend for the Arsenal game. Even if I´m injured I still want to go. I´m a football fan and I want to see the lads do well.

Arsenal are in fine form at the moment, especially after the 5-2 win against Fenerbahce in midweek.

It will be a real test for the lads. But they can be positive because we´ve had a pretty strong start to the season and West Ham have a good record of beating the big teams at Upton Park. So hopefully we´ll get the three points.

I hope you´re enjoying the new-look website. There are still a few things being worked on, but I´m almost there…feel free to post videos, send messages and explore the new site.

I´ll be back soon with more.

Cheers, Dean.