Jonathan Douglas paid tribute to the Brentford medical team after completing his first 90 minutes after a knee operation.
The midfield player had knee surgery in the summer and has missed the start of the 2013/14 season.
He featured in a behind closed doors friendly last week and played for Brentford’s Development Squad in an Under-21 Professional Development League Two South game on Monday.
Jonathan, speaking to Bees Player after the match, said he had no immediate reaction to the 90 minute.
He said credit had to go to Brentford’s Head of Medical Neil Greig and his team including First Team Physiotherapist Daryl Martin for his recovery and Head of Conditioning Chris Haslam and Conditioning Coach Tom Perryman for getting him to this point.
“It feels good,” said Jonathan.
“It has been great to get out there and play with some of the lads and some of the young boys.
“It was a good run out.
“Fingers crossed it will be OK in the morning.
“The knee feels great now, so far, so good.
“I played 70 minutes the other week.
“I have put in a lot of hard work with the physios.
“They deserve a lot of praise.
“I want to thank them.
“The medical team here are one of the best I have ever worked with.
“Neil and Darryl, who I was with every day, to the fitness team Chris and Tom.
“They deserve a lot of credit, they have been different class.
“They have got me back fit and strong and it all goes down to them.”
Jonathan said he had a number of problems with his knee that needed repair but all was now well.
He said with Brentford pushing for promotion from League One last season, he wanted to delay it to assist in the quest for Championship football.
“There was a culmination of things,” he explained.
“I had a couple of tears in my cartilage that needed fixing and some bone bruising.
“That needed sorting out.
“I had the operation and all seems well.
“If we had have got promoted or not made the Play-Offs, I would have had it done earlier.
“But once we had the opportunity of getting up there was no way I was going to get it done.
“I took a lot of painkillers and anti-inflammatory.
“I was just resting and preparing for games.
“Hopefully now it is all sorted.”
Jonathan has been training for a couple of weeks without reaction and has now played 90 minutes.
He said he knew it would be a tough task to reclaim his place in the First Team but was ready when called up.
“There has been no reaction so far in training but nothing prepares you for a game,” he said.
“You put a lot of pressure on it over 90 minutes.
“I have done a lot of strength work, it feels strong.
“I am looking forward to getting involved in the First Team.
“I am trying to get my fitness ready.
“I feel good and am ready to go.
“I have been training with the lads, they know I have been out and don’t generally go in hard.
“The Charlton lads wouldn’t know that.
“You have to prepare to get hit.
“It will happen and I have to react.
“I have done everything right and it is going well.
“I didn’t have a target when I was coming back.
“To feel I am almost there is great; I am ready to be called upon.
“We have a great squad; I know I won’t walk back in to the team.
“I will have to bide my time and wait for my chance.
“When that comes I have to take it.”
Jonathan scored Brentford’s first goal in a 4-2 win on Monday.
He got on to the end of a Raphaël Calvet cross to convert on the volley at the far post.
Brentford were 2-0 up at half time and went 4-1 up just past the hour mark.
Charlton ended strongly but Brentford took the win.
“It was a great cross,” said Jonathan.
“There was good play leading up to it.
“I was on the left of a diamond today and my job was to get in the box.
“It was nice when it fell to me.
“I can put the ball in the net; I just need to get in the positions.
“I had the opportunity to get in to the box today as I did a bit last season.”
Jonathan added Brentford were pretty pleased overall with their afternoon’s work.
“We won the game, that’s the main thing,” he said.
“We probably didn’t play as well as we wanted in the first half but were 2-0 up.
“We were brighter in the second half.
“Overall we are pretty pleased.
“There is a mix and match of the boys here, we don’t play much together.
“We got a result, that was good.”
A full video interview with Jonathan Douglas is available here for Bees Player subscribers.