SAINTS youngster Dom Ballard is aiming to return to fitness in time for 2024-25 pre-season after his first senior campaign was cut short by a long-term injury.
The teenager has been out injured since late November when he suffered a patella injury while on loan at Reading in a League One game against Wycombe Wanderers.
Ballard has since returned to Saints for treatment having undergone successful knee surgery in London back in December.
“It’s important for me to be back for pre-season and to be back with the lads again. Who knows where it will take me," Ballard told the club's media.
“My goal at the moment is just to be back for pre-season. I really enjoyed my time at Reading, I was gutted for it to end so quickly.
"Since I’ve been back at Southampton it’s been really good. I’ve been working with the staff who have helped me get through it.”
Ballard scored five goals and provided two assists in 12 games during his short stint with the Royals before his injury ruled him out of the remainder of the campaign.
He also hit a hattrick for England's under-19s just a week prior to suffering the first big setback of his young career.
Having already tasted life as a regular first-team player, the 18 year old is open to another loan should there not be an opportunity for him at Southampton next season.
"(Playing at Reading) was my first taste of senior football - I really enjoyed it," he continued. "If the opportunity is not here I will go out and make my way back.
“That day when I got injured was one of the worst days of my life, as you can imagine. But these things happen. It’s part of the job.
“Hopefully I don’t have many more. Luckily I'm surrounded by good people. My family have helped me. As has my girlfriend and my friends.
“Most importantly Sturds has really helped me as has the psychologist to keep my head straight. I’ve spent a lot of time with them. They have been really good to me.
“I’ve got a long time until I am back. Hopefully, I will be back by the start of next season. For now, it’s just hard work."
Ensuring Ballard is ready for the start of pre-season will give the youngster the best chance to be fit and ready for the opening game of the 2024-25 campaign.
READ MORE: What does a footballer go through to come back from serious injury?
Historically, players who do not get a full pre-season suffer from a decline in performance and have a higher risk of injury.
“That has condensed our rehab quite tightly,” Thomas Sturdy, head of academy medical services and performance explained.
"The only reason we have been able to do that is that Dom had nailed the basics really well. His surgeon threw out his protocol and told us to crack on. That gives us more freedom to go for that goal.”
Ballard is aiming for a return around April 17 which will give him six to eight weeks of a running programme with Sturdy, giving him the best chance of staying fit upon returning to full training.
Although no player ever wants to spend a long spell on the sidelines, Ballard admits his time away from the field has given him a new perspective which could aid his career in the future.
He concluded: “I believe everything happens for a reason. I’m really grateful that this has happened to me this young because it’s opened my eyes up.
“Coming into training I used to be lazy and wait until training started. Now I understand what it takes for something like this to happen.
“To stop myself from having an injury like this again I’ve realised that nutrition, sleep etc are way more important than I thought."
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