Jamie Reid, one of the key forwards in Stevenage’s season-opening success, has undergone a truly horrific health scare over the off-season. Today, he is well on his way to recovery and resilience. On vacation in Greece, the 29-year-old suddenly found herself with a blood clot. This enlightening experience became nightmarish when he suddenly awoke in Dubai paralyzed from the waist down. Reid got knocked down, but he didn’t stay down. He went on to make a glorious comeback to the game and bagged two goals from his last four games for the Boro.
Reid’s buoyant spirit is set to face a stern examination once more as he gears up to tackle Leyton Orient. His goal is to increase his stock of 10 goal involvements from 33 appearances in England’s division three. His long road back to form has been riddled with land mines. Second, he was challenged by the rhythm disruption created by the blood clot, which makes it difficult for him to get back to performing at his preincident performance expectations.
"As a striker, when your rhythm is going, everything falls for you." – Jamie Reid
This past summer’s incident should have been a career-ending disaster. Reid was extremely lucky to have found the blood clot by chance on his vacation. Initially, he was permitted to train even through his recovery, but no contact was permitted until the problem was fixed. This precautionary measure saw Reid hit the ground running in September without the advantage of a pre-season under his belt.
Reid’s doggedness, despite these obstacles, has come through. Last season, he had the most productive season of his career, scoring 18 goals in League One. This season has been overshadowed by a growing crisis of confidence. His situation began to deteriorate further when he was omitted from Michael O’Neill’s Autumn World Cup qualifying squad, including all of September’s fixtures.
"He knew what I can do up front, but he felt that the level that I was at the moment wasn't where I had been in the past, which is understood. I kind of expected it." – Jamie Reid
Once again on the field, Reid’s attention shifts to getting back into shape and rhythm. He admits that his road to recovery has not been an easy one, but is hopeful about his future opportunities.
"The aim is to be in there for the qualifiers and I'll be trying everything to get back there." – Jamie Reid
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