Matty Stevens: Forest Green striker returns from 'tough' period with ACL injury
- Published
Forest Green Rovers striker Matty Stevens says it is "unbelievable" to feel like a footballer again after eight months out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The 24-year-old was Rovers' top scorer last season with 27 goals when he went off with the knee injury during the win over Scunthorpe in April.
Forest Green were top of League Two and went on to win the title and promotion.
"It has been tough," Stevens told BBC Points West.
"Especially the way the season went last year and how well I was doing. It came towards the end of the season and luckily enough we were in a really good position as a team and we went on to win the league.
"It was tough to come out with that and have to watch the boys get us over the line instead of me being out there myself.
"It makes you a stronger person and hopefully I can only become better for it."
Stevens returned to the first-team squad on Boxing Day, coming on as a substitute during the loss to MK Dons and has since made a further two appearances from the bench.
"You've got to be mentally strong to get through it because it's a horrible, horrible injury, it's a long time through the season," Stevens said.
"There's been a lot of days when I've been in the gym on my own and I can hear the boys training outside and you wish that you were out there, you can hear the screaming and the shouting and the cheering and you're stuck in the gym trying to crack on with your work.
"Again, it all leads up to getting back where I'm at this point now."
'It all got taken away'
Last season was the most prolific of Stevens' career to date and he was named in the League Two team of the year and nominated for the league's player of the season.
However, he said the injury took some of the shine off his and the team's success because he was unable to be part of it in the same way.
"It ruined it a little bit for me," Stevens added.
"You talk about what the feeling's going to be like, the celebrations and everything else. Winning the league doesn't come round every season so you talk about it then it all gets taken away from you a bit.
"When we won at Mansfield I was on the pitch with crutches and I couldn't enjoy the celebrations as much. Obviously you want that feeling of the final whistle on the day as well and it took a lot away from me.
"But at the end of the day, like I say, I played a big part and that was the main thing."
After playing such a big role in the club's promotion to League One for the first time in their history, Stevens has had to wait almost half a season to make his debut at this level.
However, the team he returns to are enjoying different fortunes than the one he left, with Forest Green bottom of the table and on a run of four consecutive defeats.
"For whatever reason at the minute it's just not clicked so it's been a hard watch, but we've got a more than good enough team to get out of this," Stevens said.
"Hopefully now coming back into it, I can make a bit of a difference and score a few goals and help us climb up the league."
Forest Green next host Championship side Birmingham City in the FA Cup on Saturday. A win would take them into the fourth round for the first time.
Physically, Stevens said he feels good and wants to return to where he left off - scoring goals for the team.
"I just need to keep my fitness up and that'll come with games. You can't train match fitness. Once I get that I'm confident I'll be back scoring goals and helping the team," Stevens continued.
"It's something that's helped me get through the rehab. I don't care how it goes in, I don't care. That first goal is going to feel great, hopefully it comes sooner rather than later."