Having suffered the agony of a torn hamstring in the Champions League final back in June, this season has been a tough one to watch after an aborted comeback in August forced him to spend another five months on the sidelines.
He hasn't enjoyed watching his team-mates one bit however good their performances have been, but after marking his comeback with an assist in the 5-0 win over Huddersfield the City talisman can look back on a very different season that may have been exactly what he needed.
"I enjoyed it in a way," he said. "At the beginning it was a big blow but I knew I was going to be out for four or five months so after the first reaction I thought to myself I needed to work hard when I'm working and then I could enjoy the things that I've not been able to do with my family and friends and took it that way.
"Maybe it was good to refresh a little bit. No new hobbies but it was nice to bring my son and daughter to their practices and see their games, what they do. I could go on holiday, which is never possible normally during the year.
"When you have three kids between three and seven, I'm basically a taxi driver. I enjoyed it. I think they enjoyed that Daddy could watch the games and now it will harder for the missus and everywork one to around the programme.
Denne historien er fra January 09, 2024-utgaven av Manchester Evening News.
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Denne historien er fra January 09, 2024-utgaven av Manchester Evening News.
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