Dundee defender Julen Etxabeguren has thanked the medical staff who helped keep his career on track.
The Spaniard came off the bench for the final quarter-of-an-hour of the Dark Blues’ 3-1 win over Falkirk in the William Hill Scottish Cup on Tuesday night, thus ending an anxious six-week spell spent recovering from a horrific eye injury.
Etxabeguren was playing for the Dens men at Fir Park on December 12 when Motherwell player Louis Moult accidently stuck his finger in his eye socket.
The extent of the damage was not initially apparent, even after he was checked over in a local hospital after the match.
It was only a few days later when Etxabeguren, who had had trouble reading a menu in a restaurant, realised something was badly wrong.
He then visited Ninewells Hospital in Dundee for tests, where it was discovered that the injury was bad enough to pose the risk of retinal detachment.
Etxabeguren then had corrective surgery and was delighted to have fears of never being able to play again dismissed by the doctors.
After building up his fitness in the gym, his recovery was completed when he ran on to the pitch as a substitute for Kostadin Gadzhalov against the Bairns.
“My eye is getting better all the time and the operation went fine,” said Etxabeguren.
“It was thought, when I first went to the hospital after the game, that it was a scratch on my cornea and that it wasn’t that bad and I would be OK.
“I went for a meal and struggled to read the menu and that’s when I realised there was a problem.
“I came here to the club a few days later I couldn’t see right and went to hospital at Ninewells, where they did some tests.
“I had a tear in my retina.
“The doctor decided that I needed an operation.
“I wasn’t blind in the eye but there was a risk of retinal detachment.
“That’s why I had surgery.
“I wasn’t thinking that I would be losing my eyesight but it was still a worry.
“The medical staff were very kind to me.
“All I can say is thank you to the surgeon and everyone who helped me.”
Etxabeguren, who was supported by the club throughout his medical treatment, admitted it was a “sad and hard” time for him.
“At the start it wasn’t scary but then you start thinking that you can’t do anything and have to cope with that,” he said.
“So it was a sad and hard time for me.
“But once I spoke to the doctor I was happy because he told me I would be able to play football when it had healed.
“It was a really strange injury and I was told it can happen in only one out of 2,000 cases.
“Normally you can get it if a ball hits you in the eye but not because of a finger in the eye.
“Now I am using contact lenses and my eyesight is getting better.
“Things are blurred when I use just the one eye but I can see properly with both eyes.
“In terms of seeing the ball, that’s fine.”
Now Etxabeguren is hoping he can put his injury troubles behind him and can enjoy the rest of the season with the Dark Blues.
“I have never had so many injuries so I am disappointed with that and it seems like it is one after the other.
“I just need to build up my fitness, continue training and start enjoying my football again.”