After a ‘soul destroying’ nine months out injured Gillingham midfielder Alex MacDonald won’t be taking a moment for granted this season.

MacDonald, 32, has returned to action over the summer having missed most of Gillingham’s forgettable 2021/22 campaign with a knee injury picked up in October last year.

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He’s buzzing to be back involved and admits those months out injured were tough to take.

“It has been difficult,” he said. “Certainly watching what unfolded last season and knowing you can’t really help the boys, I felt so distant from it, I didn’t feel part of it for large periods because I wasn’t out there with them working, I wasn’t on the training ground, I wasn’t travelling to games. I was sat in the dark gym under the stand, trying to get fit and if I wasn’t there I was on an operating table.

“There were days I would come in, I won’t shy away from it, I didn’t want to be here, I didn’t want to be in the gym, I didn’t want to be around the place, I didn’t want to be anywhere near anyone. There were times when the last thing I wanted to do was sitting in a cold gym in December time when my little girl is 300 miles away.

“It has been really difficult, but it also makes it 10 times better now I am back involved, back out on the pitch and when I went on at Priestfield (against Portsmouth on Saturday), it had been a long time since I was out there, I looked around, took it all in and I won’t take any game, any training session, anything for granted anymore.

“So after probably the lowest point of my career last season, certainly with the things happening on the pitch and personally as well, just being on the pitch, around the lads and part of it again, I am not taking any day for granted and fingers crossed I can stay injury free for the rest of the season.”

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It’s good to see the old Alex MacDonald back. He’s a big personality around the dressing room, one of the louder ones, enjoying a joke, often making them.

He had the biggest smile at Dover a fortnight ago when he finally got to take to the field again. He knows he has extra work to do on his fitness but now he can do that around his mates.

He said: “The biggest thing for me is being on the training pitch and using up all my energy for the day on there, when you take that away, and you are sat on your own in the gym while the lads are training, just doing squats, it is soul destroying, it is really hard.

“It has been hard, there have been that many trips in and out of Harley Street in London to see what is going on, to have injections and operations and I have had full support from the medical team and I just have to make sure I am back out on that pitch and stay injury free and make sure I am available for as many games as possible.

“Now I am back in amongst it I just want to keep hold of that feeling and making sure I am on the training pitch every day.

“I’m feeling really good, the knee, touch wood, has been magnificent, since I came back in it there have been no set-backs, it has been all systems go. I have missed a few sessions, two or three, but that is to be cautions, nothing to do with any set-back or niggles.

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“The only thing missing from me now is fitness and when you have been out for such a long period of time it is hard, you can’t just click your fingers and the fitness is back straight away, it is going to take some hard, long hours in the gym. It is something I am looking forward to, knowing that my knee can handle the stuff on the grass, it is just all about getting fit and making sure I am fit moving into the start of the season.

“I am just delighted to be back out there and fingers crossed I will be on the green stuff a lot more often this year.”

Next up for the Gills is the visit of a strong Crystal Palace side tonight (Tuesday, 7pm kick off). The Premier League side have one group in Australia and another are playing game in England, with several top players unable to make the trip because of vaccination issues.

It’s a game the Gills squad are relishing.

MacDonald said: “When they went on tour to Australia we thought all the big-guns were going but it looks like 95% of them have stayed here and I am pretty sure they will be coming to Priestfield.

“It’s a game we are going to relish and certainly gives us loads of things to work on leading up to the start of the season, certainly our defensive shape and being without the ball, but then also when we do receive the ball about trying to keep it and use the ball well, it will be a great exercise for us.”