Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is thrilled to be fit-again.
Calvert-Lewin is already amongst the goals after his latest comeback from injury.
He told evertontv: “I think it's true that you learn the most about yourself in difficult times.
“It's taught me a lot of things. Patience. I'm not a very patient person but I've had to be patient and to repeat the process more times than I would have liked in terms of working so hard to get back and then have another upset, that was the most difficult part because it's like the cycle repeats again.
“It's my normal, playing football - and it has been since I was a kid. It reminds you of how precious it is and how much you enjoy doing it, when it's taken away from you.
“I just love it. Playing football is part of my identity so when you can't do it and you're not involved, you miss the training, the schedule, the camaraderie of being around the lads and being in it, prepping for games, rather than going home to prepare for a training session on your own or, even worse, in the treatment room.
“I can't really put into words how happy I am to be back playing. I think you can see it on my face. To train every day and not worry about when I'm going to be back, what I've got to do when I'm back… I'm an action man. I prefer to do than to think or to speak, so to be able to do it makes life a whole lot easier.
“I put it together into a period of 18 months or so and I feel like the person I was going into that period… It's like I've gone from boy to man. I feel like I'm more of a man now with what I've had to deal with. I felt like I was perhaps on a steady upwards trajectory and then you hit a road block - and that's when you have to look in the mirror and decide who you are going to be.
“I have a saying, 'Time waits for no-one, the world keeps spinning'. When you're sat on the sidelines everything goes on. I was doing well before the injuries, here at Everton and I got myself into a good position in the England set-up but people go past you because you can't do anything about it.
“It's hard to be deprived of playing but now to be back… The fire has been lit again."
