A gulf in class

I’ve mentioned in a previous column that I’ve been doing rehabilitation for my achilles’ tendon injury here in Qatar and promised to write more about this extraordinary place.

When I had the operation on the troublesome achilles back in March, I had every hope and belief I would be fit for Ireland’s end of season friendlies and the vitally important qualifier against the Faroes but, unfortunately, my recovery has taken longer than anticipated. Even though I’ve known deep down that I wasn’t going to be ready, I still felt a sense of disappointment at seeing the squad when it was announced on Monday.

In a bid to get my injury sorted out once and for all, I’ve been at a place called Aspetar and I cannot praise it highly enough. It was recommended by a few people whose opinion I value greatly. Aspetar is the medical centre in the middle of the Aspire Zone — basically a vast complex catering for countless sports.