Blackburn Rovers midfielder Steven Reid is finally on the road to recovery after three years of terrible luck with injuries. And the thing that kept him going through the bad times was the dream of a place in Giovanni Trapottoni’s World Cup 2010 squad.

 

Back and knee problems have severely limited the 28 year-olds appearances but the knowledge that he featured strongly in the Irish managers plans have got him through countless visits to his American surgeon and the difficult regime that comes with rehabilitation after serious injuries.

“I was out for a year… but he (Trapottoni) brought me straight back in, put me in centre midfield for the three games I was involved in. He has let me know I have a big part to play in the squad” said Reid who anticipates being in contention for both domestic and international recall at the start of next season, "I just have to make sure I get the knee back to how it should be and then hopefully Premier League football next year, and a World Cup would just cap it all off."