Mark Atkinson: Gloucester centre feels at his best after a year out with injury

Mark Atkinson spent a year on the sidelines with a significant knee injury

Gloucester centre Mark Atkinson said he feels "the best he has for a long time" as he returns to the side following a year out with a knee injury.

The 33-year-old suffered the injury on 10 October last year during the Cherry and Whites' Premiership win over Bath.

He underwent two operations in the past 12 months before returning to the side on Friday.

Atkinson played 76 minutes of the 40-14 Premiership Rugby Cup win over Hartpury.

"Everyone says I'm ready to go. I actually feel the best I've felt in a long, long time so that's the next challenge - to get through game after game after game, and start putting a string together," Atkinson told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"There's been a few moments where you start to wonder whether that will happen again. Regardless of what the game was, or who the game was, it was pretty cool to get back out there after a longer lay-off than I ever wanted.

"It's been a challenge but to get back out there was pretty special."

Atkinson joined Gloucester in 2014 and has been awarded a testimonial year this season having made more than 150 appearances over the past 10 years. He was capped once by England in 2021.

Yet Atkinson said it was only after a second surgery on his knee that he realised he was going to fully recover.

"Nobody wants to admit it, the times when you start to think. 'Is this going to be all right?'" Atkinson said.

"I had a second surgery, which I think probably got me back on track if I'm honest, I was struggling a little bit with it.

"I started to try and train and it was still not right, so then this second surgery seems to have cleared everything up.

"The mental release from that one was massive and I just knew I was going to be all right after that. The rest of my body felt great, I felt like I was ready to do everything, I just couldn't get rid of this final knee pain."

Gloucester host Championship side Coventry on Saturday in the Premiership Rugby Cup having won every one of their four games in Pool A so far, before beginning their Premiership campaign with a home game against Harlequins on Saturday, 14 October.