SAM Collins says he is edging closer to a return to fitness, after he sustained a double leg-break in the opening 10 minutes of Concord Rangers’ season.

The midfielder, 26, was involved with a collision with Weston-super-Mare winger Tristan Plummer after just eight minutes of the opening day 4-1 win. The impact of the clash broke Collins’ tibia and fibula, all but ruling him out of the Beach Boys’ season.

But Collins has not given up hope of pulling on the yellow jersey again this term, after he was given the all-clear by doctors at the start of the month.

He is now kicking a ball for the first time since August and says things are looking up and he steps up his rehabilitation in the closing 10 weeks of the season.

“I feel a lot better now than I did that’s for sure,” said Collins. “No-one likes being injured but to spend so long out when you are not used to missed matches is really difficult.

“It was only after about five minutes and it was a strange one as I don’t actually remember what happened. I remember looking down and seeing the leg wobble and I thought it was broken.

“I was probably a bit too hasty in my recovery in the first few months but I found it difficult. I stopped at Christmas but was given the all-clear at the start of February.

“I’ve not set a time limit on when I come back but I am working closely with the physio to make sure I look after myself and tick all the boxes before I get back on the pitch. I’ve not done any ball work with the team yet but that’ll come.”

Collins has been a stalwart in the Concord team since he joined at the start of the 2013 season and has rarely missed a game for the club since.

And he says he previous fitness record makes this current injury all the more difficult to cope with.

“I have had a few niggles but nothing like this,” added Collins. “I missed a few games last season but this has been something else. I normally can’t go a week without exercising, let along five or six months.

“It has meant I have been able to spend a bit of time with the family so that’s been nice, but I am still looking forward to getting back out there.”