KEY POINTS:
All White Ryan Nelsen is hoping his injury worries are finally over after missing eight games for his English premier soccer league side Blackburn Rovers.
The Blackburn captain has been blighted by a hamstring problem and suffered a recurrence recently.
The injury had kept him out of action for five months last season.
"Even when I was walking it was hurting," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"I had to put my hand up and say 'this is getting ridiculous'. Now since I've been working, things seem to be good."
Nelsen, 30, accepts the extent of the original injury was liable to cause problems in the future.
"It was a pretty big one so I suppose there were always going to be niggles.
"I think my big mistake was wanting to come back too quickly, so really I'm my own worst enemy.
He also feels delayed diagnosis may have worsened the situation.
"Nobody could really give me an answer what was wrong and it was just annoying. I wasn't playing well and even though I kept training it just got worse.
"I think it was during the Middlesbrough game that I realised I had to do something about it."
Blackburn are in eighth place at present in the 20-team premier league.
- NZPA