After nearly four months out with injury, David Kasumu made his return to football in Monday’s defeat to Crewe Alexandra.
The midfielder suffered an injury prior to the Boxing day clash against Bristol Rovers. His long-awaited return came on Easter Monday when Kasumu replaced Josh McEachran for the final 30-minutes.
Kasumu slotted seamlessly back into the Dons team and was naturally full of energy during his half-an-hour cameo.
After a couple of setbacks during his rehab, Kasumu couldn’t help but hide his delight in what was a bittersweet afternoon for MK Dons.
“It was unreal to be back out there,” Kasumu said following the full-time whistle. “It has been a long time on the sidelines watching the boys. It felt good after three months in the physio room, even after being out there training with them for a few weeks, but being out there felt unreal and I hope I can keep going.
“It was my first real long-term injury and it was tough mentally early on. There are a lot of people here who will talk to you, the lads were great with me, I was still connected to the team – but it was tough.
“You have to use that time to do the right thing, stick to the plan they give you so when you come back you're in the best shape. All the medical staff really helped me out to come back as strong as I can be.”
Kasumu admits he found it frustrating to watch his teammates from the sidelines such was his desire to get back to full fitness. Kasumu says he turned back into a fan watching the Dons - but made sure he used his time out wisely.
“I turned back into a fan to cheer the lads on! It's frustrating because you're not out there playing – but I’ve learned things when watching too.
“You couldn't predict the first game I'm back gets postponed! I knew Friday to Monday wasn't too long to wait so just got my head down again.”
