How Preston North End's Sean Maguire was the master of his own downfall after injury lay off

The Irishman pulled up during North End’s first pre-season friendly of the summer against Bamber Bridge. From that date in July, Maguire has had to wait to get his first competitive start, which came on Wednesday in the win over West Bromwich Albion.

Patience has been key for North End’s no.24, who was left abandoned by a second wind on his return to action.

He said: "It meant a lot to me. The period of time that I've been out injured has probably been about 10 weeks, and then not having a pre-season as well as that, you don't have any games to get up to match fitness. You can train however long you can but match fitness is totally different. In reality it was probably my second pre-season game.

"I played the Central League game and you could probably tell in the second half on Wednesday that I was waiting for that second wind but it just didn't come, the legs were starting to feel a bit achey.

"I've been really fit since the back end of August but it's about waiting for your opportunity, biding your time.

"Thankfully that came this week and especially in the first half performance I thought I'd done enough, I'll feel sharper and fitter the more games I play. I was quite happy with my performance on Wednesday.”

Maguire’s injury was described as an Achilles problem over the weeks of his absence but it was in fact a muscle between the tendon and his calf muscle.

He was his own worst enemy over the summer it turned out, as his eagerness to impress, and inability to give himself more time off, could have proved to be his undoing.

He said: “It was my soleus, the muscle in between your calf and your Achilles. It just tightened up, in pre-season it's double or triple sessions so I was quite tight going into the game. In the first couple of minutes I just felt it split.

"I've never really had a calf, Achilles, soleus injury before. I'd never felt something like that before so when I felt it I knew there was going to be something up.

"I didn't think it was going to be as bad as what it was. It was probably down to the fact that I didn't give myself a break over the summer. With it being the manager's first pre-season I worked extra hard before pre-season to make sure I was fit and sharp which kind of went against me. I should have really given myself a break but you learn from these things.

"It's been a long road, the lads going away on pre-season tour and the pre-season games. There are big windows in the gym, it was frustrating looking at the boys on the pitch.

"It's good to be back, even this week getting the matchday feeling from the start, under the lights at Deepdale, live on Sky. You really miss those moments. When you're in the gym you really look forward to those moments. Thankfully I'm back now.”