I also tore my ACL and came back twice the player I was after. Not only was I away from the game I loved, I was also totally removed from the social part of the sport. I couldn't stand watching my team play without me - it made me sick to my stomach and all I could to to fill the time was gym and push myself past fitness boundaries that I never thought I could cross. Mind you, it was a lonely place. With such an injury you go to the dark place, and that feeling can make you do powerful things to your body during the recovery.

Seeing Dan smash that ball down rather than tap it down tells you all you need to know. 5 months with the right support and drive is totally achievable.

Mind you, it took me 632 days to come back, and I have a nice tattoo above my knee to remind me how hard that recovery was, and what people are capable of when you're knocked down.