Purches: A big step forward

AFC Bournemouth utility player Stephen Purches had the metal plate removed from his leg at the end of last month.

Purches suffered a double leg break following an innocuous 50/50 challenge with Rochdale's Jason Kennedy on 18th February.

Purches broke his tibia and fibula in the challenge and was taken straight to Royal Oldham Hospital.

24 hours later Purches had an operation to insert a metal plate into the leg and thankfully, that surgery went well and he soon returned to Bournemouth to begin his recuperation at home.

Purches had periods of only being able to walk with crutches and with the aid of an air boot, but the day before the rest of the AFC Bournemouth squad returned for 2012/13 pre-season training, Purches came off the crutches and began his own pre-season schedule.

In October he began running outside for the first time, but while continuing his light training he suffered discomfort from the metal plate and it was decided that he would have further surgery to have it removed.

Purches now has to wait for the bone to heel from where the screws had been in before returning to his rehabilitation, but it is not believed that it should prove to be too much of a set back, with the popular utility player still hoping to feature at some stage this season.

Purches told the Daily Echo...

'...Eventually the plate had to come out, whether it was now or five years down the line, I spoke to the specialist and, with the plate being so long, there was no way I could keep it in and still play. It was better off coming out now as it could mean I get some football in before the end of the season.

"It is a big step forward because the plate, as big and as weird as it looks, has done a fantastic job getting the bone fixed. Now I have had it removed, I have to build back up a little bit compared with where I was, but I am still pretty much where I want to be in terms of timescale..."

'...Mentally, it was a big thing and I hope I can keep that progression going. It`s been a long process, but I have gone about each stage of the recovery as best I can and ticked one box at a time. That is all I can do...'

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