The midfielder’s 2008/09 season was ruined by a niggling abdominal injury that prevented him from playing for the first team from late September onwards.
That defeat to Brighton in the Carling Cup was the end of his senior season, with a reserve outing coming almost at the end of the campaign, so Saturday’s match against the Orlando Pirates in Polokwane must have felt like a new start for the 21-year-old.
Mcfc.co.uk spoke to Michael after the game, and he told us how he felt after his 45-minute stint:
“I feel pretty well, and I’m glad to get it under my belt,” he declared. “It’s more fitness work which I needed, but I felt good afterwards and I’m just looking to get stronger now.
“I would have liked a bit longer in my heart of hearts, but 45 minutes was fine and playing was all I wanted to do. I just wanted to play myself into the game, I started slowly but I gradually got into it a lot more.
“I keep getting stronger every time I train and play and I just want to keep working at it. For the rest of the tour I just want to keep playing as much as I can, keep training and get fitter, that’s what it’s all about at this time of the year.”
