PIERCE SWEENEY IS THE CLUB CAPTAIN OF EXETER CITY FC

Having just gone under the surgeon’s knife, I’m happy to report the surgery to fix my long-standing hip issue went entirely to plan and, assuming there are no unforeseen complications, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t play a full part in the forthcoming pre-season.

The keyhole surgery took place at a specialist clinic in London’s Harley Street and was carried out by the same surgeon who operated on the manager’s hips, so I knew I was in good hands.

Depending on what, exactly, he found on opening me up, I could have been on crutches for up to six weeks. Thank God, as it transpired, my cartilage and hips were in better shape than he’d envisaged and I was walking unaided just two or three days after the op.

Touch wood my rehabilitation will go to plan and I can play a full part in the 2025-26 campaign, which will be my testimonial season.

I still can’t quite believe how it’s gone since I first rocked up in Devon back in August 2016. As you probably won’t recall, I was signed as back up to Tom McCready and didn’t expect to be much more than a bit-part player in my first season at St James’ Park.

Unfortunately for Tom, he got injured a week before the start of the season and I ended up playing more than 30 games. The rest, as they say, is history; after more than 300 games for Exeter, the club, and the city, will always have a very special place in my heart and I want my testimonial season to be a celebration of that.

Since I last put pen to paper, we’ve enjoyed a fantastic 2-1 win at Barnsley last Tuesday and endured a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home to Stockport on Saturday.

I watched the Barnsley game at home on Grecian and thought we were thoroughly deserving of all three points. And I was made up for winning goalscorer Josh Magennis. It goes........

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