Solly delighted to be back in action

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Nick Szczepanik

2024-12-29T06:00+00:00

Solly March will be looking to get more minutes at Villa Park on Monday. 📷 James Boardman.

Solly March cannot wait to follow up his late cameo against Brentford with more minutes on the pitch - and to help the team back to winning ways.

Solly came on for Joel Veltman after 88 minutes of Friday’s goalless draw to make his first appearance in the first team since rupturing his cruciate ligament in the 2-1 defeat away to Manchester City on October 21 2023.

The Sussex-born winger received an ovation when he took to the Amex pitch and almost won the game with a late 20-yarder.

“I had too much time,” he said. “I should have just touched it and hit it. But I took that extra moment, it got caught under my feet and I just lost it from there.”

The fans, though, were just glad to see him back, loudly cheering his warm-up runs along the touchline. They were just the latest efforts of everyone associated with the club to get behind his attempts to come back from what used to be a career-threatening injury.

“All the physios have been incredible and the doctor, my wife and kids - I’ve had a lot of support,” Solly said. “I probably couldn’t have done it without them, to be honest.

“There have been hard moments, thinking: ‘Will I ever get back on the pitch?’ But yes, a lot of support from the club and away from the club. Family, friends, everyone has backed me all the way, the club have backed me all the way. I couldn’t have asked for any more.”

Solly March applauds the Albion fans after returning against Brentford. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

It was not the first time that Solly had experienced cruciate ligament damage. He was stretchered off with a similar injury in a 2-2 draw at Derby in December 2015, returning as a late substitute in the 2-0 win at Bristol City 11 months later that is better remembered for a certain Steve Sidwell goal from the centre circle and the celebrations that followed.

That long rehab prepared him for what he had to go through this time. “You know that there are going to be little niggles that you’re going to have to get over," he said.

"So probably mentally more than anything it does help - knowing how hard you have to work, and stick at it, doing what the physios tell you, working hard in the gym and doing all the boring stuff that is mind-numbing really, months and months on end, knowing that you can get through that.”

The fans have been scrutinising the club’s regular updates from the training ground, anxious to see Solly back on the grass.

Solly March gets in a cross late on in Friday's goalless draw against Brentford. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

And they were delighted by his appearance in the Christmas edition of Buzz’s Boot Room Quiz - albeit disguised as The Grinch - that proved that the mood around the club remains buoyant despite some disappointing recent results.

“Yes, 100 percent. The club is good for that. There is great morale around the club. From the cleaners, people in the kitchens, the backroom staff, everyone is together. You see a lot of friendly faces every day and there’s a lot of fun going on so it’s a good club for that.”

Now he wants to get more playing time under his belt and to contribute to Fabian Hurzeler’s push for the top six.

“I’ve been in lots of meetings over the last five or six months and watched training so I think I know what to do and I know what he wants.

“But it’s a lot different in practice and having the fitness to do that. So I have to keep working hard in training to get minutes and hopefully I can build on the ten minutes on Friday and it will get better and easier.”

Villa Park has happy memories

Next up is Monday's trip to Villa Park, where Solly scored the winner in front of empty seats back in 2020.

“Back in Covid, yes, with no fans," he recalled. "We’re on a frustrating run but at times we’re playing well and creating chances but it’s just that clinical final edge, to put the ball in the back of the net.

“We’ve got to keep getting in those positions, keep working hard, and I think it will come because there have been some good moments. Maybe not a full 90 minutes but there have certainly been halves and patches of games when we have dominated.

“It’s not going for us at the moment and it’s a tough run that we need to turn around but I think we will do.”