Sheffield United midfielder Oliver Arblaster is hoping he can beat his mid-September return date after anterior cruciate ligament surgery.
He continued that progression in the Championship until the serious knee injury which ended his season in November last year.
Arblaster is back training with the first team during their warm-weather camp in Girona, Spain, but a playing comeback is still some way off yet.
Such is the competitive nature of footballers, though, the 21-year-old is aiming to be back ahead of schedule.
"I feel like I'm pretty close," he told the BBC at the training camp." I feel really good, my body feels really good.
"The sessions are tough, some days I'll ache a little bit but it's just natural.
"The physio and the doctor I've spoken to said it'll be around September time but as I know with this injury, you can't really think, 'I'll be back playing then.'
INJURY: Oliver Arblaster (Image: Simon Bellis / Sportimage)placeholder image
INJURY: Oliver Arblaster (Image: Simon Bellis / Sportimage)
"It could be before, I hope it's before that, but I just have to take it day by day. I hopefully I'll get back before that date, if not, in the September international break I'd love to be playing games."
The Blades have four games before September's international break, and even when Arblaster returns, he will need some time to build back up to full fitness, with minor niggles as the body readjust quite commonplace after long-term injuries.
That could cause the Blades to go into the transfer market with Vinicius Souza having been sold to Wolfsburg and Hamza Choudhury returning to Leicester City after a loan.
Centre-back Tyler Bindon, loaned from Nottingham Forest, is the only senior player added so far, and the focus in the transfer market is currently on free transfers, loans, and retaining the club's more valuable players.
SOLD: The departure of VinÃcius Souza only increases Oliver Arblaster's importance to Sheffield United (Image: Paul Terry / Sportimage)placeholder image
SOLD: The departure of VinÃcius Souza only increases Oliver Arblaster's importance to Sheffield United (Image: Paul Terry / Sportimage)
Arblaster is understandably anxious to get back and start helping the team out once more.
"I think I've thought about it for the last eight months," he admitted. "It's hard not to.
"I feel like I'm someone who when I'm feeling a bit negative about things will always try look at what's to come. It'll make it all worthwhile when I finally do walk out at Bramall Lane again.
"We were really close last season (to promotion) and I'd like to have had a bigger part to play.
"As soon as we lost in the play-off final last season I was just determined to come back in playing as soon as possible and helping us go up."