DION Conroy says he is edging towards full fitness after playing in both of Swindon Town’s first two games.

The 23-year-old defender had a frustrating time at the club last year, where a serious knee injury curtailed his first full campaign at the Energy Check County Ground.

After having an operation on his knee and his shoulder whilst sitting on the sidelines, he made a return to action during pre-season earlier this summer.

Now after playing 90 minutes in Swindon’s 3-2 home win over Macclesfield Town on Saturday and their 4-0 defeat to Chelsea on Tuesday, the former Blues man believes he is slowly getting up to speed with his colleagues.

“It’s been amazing to just be playing football again,” said Conroy.

“During the start of pre-season it was a little bit stop-start, I was just trying to get back into things and then I think we were three weeks in before I played my first game.

“I managed to play in three different games that week and since then, things have really kicked on and I was happy to play in the league again on Saturday.

“Being tactically aware isn’t something you switch off from. I think I had around 11 months off from when I first did it.

“I still don’t feel 100 per cent, but with every week and in the last three weeks I am getting towards 100 per cent.

“I feel very close. The injury feels fine, I just need to make sure I stay fit and on top of that and keep winning.”

While the defender admits that returning to fitness is a challenge, he says the mental aspect is just as difficult, if not more so.

“I had my operation on October 6, and I was in a brace for six weeks where I couldn’t bend my knee past 30 degrees,” he added.

“So I was pretty much stuck. Then because I dislocated my shoulder in the first game I couldn’t do any upper body work.

“Then I came out of the brace with my knee and had to have my operation on my shoulder so I was pulling my hair out.

“It was a very tough period, it was horrible. The physical injury was healing well, the mental side was awful, that is the worst part of it.”

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