Top line summary:

  • First 'properly bad injury' of his career 
  • How he made rehab easier
  • Keen to come back and help the team
  • Story behind his new look

Adam Le Fondre is back fit and available for Hibs and was on media duties ahead of Saturday's trip to Aberdeen. Here's all the striker had to say... 

You must be happy to be back?

"Yes. I had to wait until the end of my career to get a properly bad injury. Even when I got the news that I had the PCL tear in my knee, there was disbelief because I'd been playing with it for two or three games. I did it against Celtic and played the Ross County game after and I felt my leg give way - I felt, if anything, I was going to have a stress fracture or something like that. But I got told to be put in a brace for seven or eight weeks, limited function, it wasn't ideal for someone my age and the eagerness to get back was something I thrived on. I set targets in my head to try and beat them and get back as soon as possible to help the team. It's the longest injury I've ever had in my career. It was three-and-a-half months. It was a really frustrating time for me because before that I thought I had been playing pretty well. I thought I was helping and contributing to the team. I was a real asset. Just before the injury, we had the semi-final as well, so I missed that. For me it was about getting back fit.

You normally see PCL injuries in car crashes...

"That's what the doctor said to me - he was like, 'What have you done?' I don't know what I've done! We played Celtic at home and Matt O'Riley nicked the ball off me and I've gone down on my knee and folded it. I got up and went, 'That's a bit sore that,' and just carried on playing, as you do. I got through training and got to the Tuesday night, started that game against Ross County and when Jair Tavares scored, it was a two-v-one and I sprinted through the middle and as I went to do it I've gone, 'Oooffft, that doesn't feel great'. My knee sort of gave way but me being daft I carried on for another 20 minutes after that to try and get through it. But it came to a point where I couldn't really walk - it was a bit stupid on my part! That's football really."

What were you thinking when you heard 'cruciate ligament?'

"I was thinking the worst. They said if it was a little bit worse then it could have been surgery. I'm thinking, 'Bloody hell; I don't need surgery at this stage of my career'. That's the last sort of news I wanted. I was hoping for three weeks or maybe I'll strap it up for the semi-final and rest after that. But I was like, 'You've hit me with a sucker punch here and taken the wind out of my sails completely'. Being in a brace for seven weeks after that, limited function, I had to reassess everything and get myself in a good mental space because no matter what age you are, an injury like that, you are completely away from the team. You can't help the team when they go through tough periods. Knowing you've made an impact previously and knowing you can still make an impact on the pitch but you're not able to because your body has betrayed you, it's just unfortunate and it's something that I had to re-adjust to."

How do you get into a better mental space?

"Set myself targets. I think it's something that I've done throughout my career, whether I've been playing or not, is to set myself good goals to achieve, whether it be on a Ski Erg machine when I'm sat down or a boxing circuit, it's setting goals. I need to hit that if I want to be back to where I was before. I've got to be better than I was before, otherwise with the boys who have come in now, I could easily be left behind. I don't plan on doing that."

Did you have anyone to speak to?

"Not particularly. I'm quite a closed-off person with that kind of thing. I'll just deal with it myself, me and my family. I put the walls up and fight and get myself fit, motivate myself to be better. I think that's all you can do as a footballer. You have that internal drive to be better than you were before. That's something I've got now, even more so at this stage of my career."

Has the injury made you even hungrier?

"Definitely. I think I was playing well before the injury and the gaffer will attest to that. I've probably been missed while I've been out injured. It's been disappointing because I know I can make a difference, I know I can score goals, I know I can create goals and help the team win. Watching us falter a little bit in that period was really disheartening for me. Because I like the gaffer so much and we have a personal relationship, I want to be back to help him, to put my body on the line for him as well."

Did you ever think you and Neil Warnock would cross paths again?

"No! He's a legend of the game in England and for him to come up here and try his hand is going to be great scenes, I guess."

Is it a smart move by Aberdeen?

"I don't really know how Aberdeen want to run things but he has legendary status in the English game. He's not got a bad CV for what he does. He's done good jobs everywhere he's been pretty much. I don't think he can be a bad appointment if that is anything to go off."

Did you play for him, or against his teams?

"I didn't have him at Cardiff. When I left he came the season after. I have played against him a few times. You hear a lot of stories about him but one thing you do hear is he gets all the players onside and creates a positive atmosphere within the group. You can't deny the results he gets because come November the phone is ringing and he puts on the cape and saves a team."

Was scoring at Pittodrie in September one of your best moments?

"The Aberdeen away game when we won 2-0 and I scored was a good moment. I started the season really well and I was disappointed to get the news I did with the injury. We beat Inverness at the weekend and we have to build on that going into an important period."

What have you done throughout your career to avoid injury?

"Just been really lucky! I can't put it down to anything. I played through a time when prehab wasn't as prevalent as it is now. My prehab at Bolton used to be having a coffee at 10:25, going out and smashing some balls around, go in net while a centre-back is shooting at me from 30 yards and then train. I have gone through the lot. You come here and you have a dedicated activation centre and stuff like that. I have evolved as I have got older but I have did well to escape injuries. Touch wood, I escape it for the rest of my career."

What did the manager get you to do while you were injured?

"I was just doing my work and focusing on me as ultimately I can't really help the team. When you are injured you are so far away from it, you sort of detach yourself, even though you're not, you detach yourself in your own head to focus on how to get better as a player, how to come back better, fitter, to make sure the period you are fit and you are back into playing, there isn't that much disparity from what you were and getting back to what you can be. We have a great rehab team here and I have worked loads with Chris Cadden in his rehab. It's been really positive the stuff we've got done with the terrible weather and busy schedule the boys have had. It's pretty much been a two-man session, me and Cadds, getting the right metrics we need to come back and make an impact in training and in games."

What's your role at Hibs now, with the influx of attacking players in January?

"It's the gaffer's decision, but I am happy to do what he wants me to do. If he sees it fit for me to start a game, then of course, I am ready to start and play. If he sees me as an impact player, I know where I am in my career to know I can make an impact and I am still good enough to do that. Whether that be from the start or coming off the bench."

What's your contract situation - have there been any talks?

"I'm up at the end of the season. Being out for so long I am just focusing on playing at the moment. We will go from there but whatever happens, next season I will definitely be playing football. I still think I'm good enough to make an impact no matter what level I am playing at and I think my performances speak for themselves. Whatever happens, happens."

What's the story behind the new hair?

"It's something different, isn't it? My missus has been badgering me to do it and she didn't think I would do it. I said to my girls, 'Don't tell mum but I am going to come in one day with bleach-blonde hair. They said, 'Dad don't, that's embarrassing.' So I turned up with the blonde hair and they were like, 'Oh my god, I'm so embarrassed.' I just thought, 'why not?' And if I didn't do it now I'd never do it. Just to have a bit of a laugh with my girls. It's been funny when I manage to pick up my girls, some of the mums asking, 'who's that?' It's been a bit of a laugh."

Are you not tempted to go green, a bit like Harry McKirdy?

"No, no! I have enough with blonde and white. I am not sure my girls could handle the green."