WES Thomas has spoken about a dark few months when he could not even bring himself to watch football on television after rupturing an Achilles tendon.

The Oxford United striker is running again after battling back from the horrific injury, picked up after coming on as a substitute against Coventry City in November.

The 30-year-old endured a stop-start spell at United after joining the club last summer.

After some niggling problems, the former Birmingham City and Bournemouth forward was hoping to secure a regular starting role.

But his season was ended abruptly, and Thomas admitted it hit him hard when he was confined to his sofa.

“I was not in a good place at all,” he said.

“I had only been at the club three months and before that I had a couple of calf injuries.

“Every time I got going I was breaking down a little bit. And then to have that one was devastating.

“There was a lot I wanted to achieve and to know I had picked up the injury and I wasn’t going to play again that season was very difficult to take.”

There followed a tough few months.

The two ends of the tendon were so far apart that the only option was surgery.

And the consequences of the injury meant Thomas was struggling mentally to cope with the reality of his situation.

“When I got the injury I could not watch football at all,” he said.

“I needed to clear my head and I found it hard to watch as it brought me back to my own situation.

“I couldn’t move at all for two months. I was just on the sofa watching daytime TV.

“Part of the problem was that I couldn’t focus on doing other things because I couldn’t move.

“You can only watch programmes for so long until you get bored and then everything starts playing on your mind again.”

When his nightmare period in his living room was over, Thomas said his whole outlook changed for the better.

And a return to United on a day-to-day basis helped provide the spark.

“When I got back into doing my rehab and training I was able to focus on the future,” he said.

“It took me a couple of months to get over it. But I managed to do that and focus on what I need to achieve next season.

“I was in a different mentality when I was back (at the club).

“Coming in again was probably the light at the end of the tunnel.”

He added: “I have been outside running again.

“It was weird at first because it’s the first time I had run in five months, but every time I have gone out I have stepped it up which has been good.

“When I saw the other boys kicking a ball about I just watch and think ‘I need to get out there’.”