The highly-rated 18 year-old made a big impact in the last few games of the season, nailing down the right-back berth during the team’s unbeaten run.
However it was during the dramatic finale to the closing game against Middlesbrough that he sustained damage to his leg that has resulted in his missing the majority of City’s pre-season fixtures.
“It was in the last game of the season, before we had the penalty,” he explains, “When I snapped a tendon in my hamstring.
“There was only 5 minutes left in the game, but I did play on. I can honestly say that I did’nt get much sympathy whatsoever from the physios!”
At first the injury felt like it was merely a niggle, but the full diagnosis meant that Nedum was going to have to change his plans for the summer break.
“I did’nt realise the extent until days after, when the pain did seem to kick in a whole lot more.
“It’s been sore ever since then, and I’ve been coming to see the physios all throughout the summer, trying to do some work on it to improve the strength, and I think I’m in the final stage now.”
It may appear that an injury in the dying seconds of the season might be a blessing in disguise, but Nedum is honest enough to see it differently. He is keen to put the hard work in now so that he can get back to the kind of level that won him so many plaudits last term.
“People say I’m blessed in the fact that it happened at the end of the season, but that means that I have’nt been able to go anywhere because to get better I have to come in all the time. I’ve been coming in when there has’nt been anyone else here just to do work, which is’nt really enjoyable.
“There have been times when I’ve been in the gym on my own, doing really hard strength work and trying to find the motivation to carry on doing this. It’s not nice to be thinking to yourself ‘How can I do this?’, because if I come back and the same injury comes again, to go through that same thing again I would’nt wish on anyone.”
City fans can be sure that the talented teenager is not resting on his laurels as he puts in the hard yards ahead of the upcoming Premiership campaign.
