Gibson raring to go ahead of Oman clash

Eleven months ago Darron Gibson was on top of the world. He was fresh in on a permanent deal to Everton and had become a regular starter in Roberto Martinez’s new Toffees set up. Then, along came Kazakhstan in what is now looked back on as a pointless game but for Gibson, it was the end of his season.

 

What followed that game for the Derry man was ten months out with a cruciate knee ligament injury, which saw him passed at club level by Gareth Barry and fellow Irish international James McCarthy. While at international level, the aforementioned scot-born schemer alongside the resurgent Glenn Whelan and the young talent of Jeff Hendrick.

 

Now though, the former Manchester United prospect is back in the fold under Martin O’Neill and is under no illusions, that for him it’s now or never to become a key part of the international engine room.

 

"Obviously being out for 10 months last season gave me a long time to think about things. I think it’s now or never to be honest with you, I realised that I’m not getting any younger. I need to start playing games and I need to start doing well for myself.”

 

It’s often that a serious injury such as this makes a player much wiser both on and off the field, and that they should be thankful for the time they are fit and available. Just an example of this comes today from the NFL. Indianapolis Colts defensive leaded Robert Mathis will miss the opening four games of the regular season for an innocuous PED incident, he did not fight the ban, and instead left a note in the dressing room for his team mates today, it is as follows below:

 



 

In Gibson’s case, he became grateful for what he had before the injury and the self-proclaimed “bad patient” thanked the medical staff for all their help in his recovery:  “The physios are unbelievable there and they made it quite easy for me.”

 

The hardest part for a man who left Manchester United to escape sitting in the stands for much of the campaign was to once again do that, this time though not having the opportunity to immediately change the situation.

 



"Being out for 10 months is tough. I think that the hardest thing was going every week to Goodison and watching the lads, obviously knowing that I should’ve been playing."

 

Ireland manager Martin O’Neill confirmed that Gibson will start the game tomorrow against Oman and the Everton man is raring to get back on the pitch.

 

“It’s a big opportunity for me. I’ve been out for 10 months and it’s been quite tough. My knee feels good and I’m feeling fit again so I’m looking forward to tomorrow."

 

The boys in green face the Asian nation in their final warm up game before embarking on the road to Paris and the showpiece on July 10th 2016 in Paris’ Northern district of Saint Denis and the Stade De France. That journey begins in Tbilisi with a very tough tie against Georgia, a side drew in World Cup Qualification with the host nation for this edition of Europe’s marquee international event, France.

 

Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.ie for the Oman friendly, so get yourself along to Dublin 4 this evening to give O’Neill’s charges a raucous send off to the southern Causcas region! 

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