STOKE’S stricken defender Danny Higginbotham hopes to defy medical predictions by returning to action in time for pre-season training.

Higginbotham plans to clip a few weeks off his estimated recovery period so he can rejoin his colleagues for their pre-
season return at the start of July.

His specialist told him to allow for three months of rehabiliation after he underwent surgery on his back a fortnight ago.

But the 30-year-old left-back says: “Although the specialist said three months, I’m hoping I will be fine for pre-season and be able to hit the ground running with the rest of the lads.

“It’s vital I can try to join in with the rest of the boys from the start so I am ready for next season.

“But that’s a long way off. For the moment, I’m just doing some stretching to get my hamstrings going and to get the nerves working. I’m not even setting a date for when I can start running again.”

Higginbotham’s problems date back to the 2-0 win at West Bromwich Albion on April 4 when he first felt the back twinge, totally without warning, as no-one was even near him.

“All I was doing was clearing the ball,” he recalls ruefully, “but I think the problem was the angle I was clearing the ball at.
“Anyhow, something went and it just got stiffer and stiffer as the game went on.

“I was all right to start the next two games against Newcastle and Blackburn, but then I did something different in the second game. I went up for a header after about 15 minutes against Blackburn and any back pain I had from the original problem suddenly went down to my legs. The funny thing was, it was more painful to just walk and less painful to jog around.

“Over the next couple of days I could hardly walk and missed my first scheduled scan because I just couldn’t get there.

“When I eventually did have the scan, it showed I still had two bulging discs from the first injury, but I also had a third disc lower down which had literally popped out.

“From what they tell me, there was fluid coming out of it internally and the pain was coming from the disc pushing against the nerves.”

Higginbotham underwent surgery on the day of the Fulham game on April 25 and was back on his feet in time to watch last Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat by West Ham.

He acknowledges the frustration of failing to see the job through this season, but remains confident his colleagues will complete their survival task.

Nor has there been the slightest reason to question his decision to return to the Potteries last summer after a
12-month stint at Sunderland.

“No regrets whatsoever,” he asserts. “I said from day one we could stay up because I knew the manager, I knew the players and I knew the club. I think it was good that people wrote us off straight away because that just fired us up to try to prove them wrong. It also meant that the only pressure on us came from ourselves.

“I know results weren’t going that well at one point this season, but we were always realistic and knew the teams we were losing to, like your Uniteds and Chelseas, weren’t going to be around us in the table.

“Of course, you want to be winning those games if you can, but you have to be realistic and accept the simple fact that the more important games were those against the teams around you.”

And Stoke’s record in 2009 against those recognised at the time as bona fide relegation rivals reads: Played 8, Won 5, Drawn 2, Lost 1, Points 17 out of 24.

Which says it all really. And it’s no coincidence that 14 of those 17 points came in front of their fervent faithful at the Britannia.

But can Stoke’s loyal support possibly recreate this season’s atmosphere again next season?

“If our supporters see the lads giving 100 per cent, they’ll give 100 per cent back, so I don’t think it will be a problem,” Higginbotham asserts.

“They have been unbelievable this season, and I don’t think they will be any different next season.”