Everton Under-23s striker Sam Byrne has told of his relief after making his first appearance following an 11-month injury nightmare.
The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international, who signed for the Blues from Manchester United in 2014, sustained a horrific broken leg during a freak accident in training in early March 2016.
He then suffered a setback on his road to recovery but returned to full training last month and made a 16-minute appearance off the bench in the young Blues’ 1-0 win over Arsenal on Monday evening.
Byrne nearly had an instantaneous impact, winning possession in Arsenal territory, before beating his marker and forcing Gunners goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into a good save at full stretch with a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area.