JAMIE Pitman is confident his long-running shoulder problem will disappear forever following a summer operation.
The Hereford United midfielder went under the knife after admitting dislocating his right shoulder on half-a-dozen occasions last season.
It meant five frustrating months on the sidelines for the 29-year-old as he stuck rigidly to a rehabilitation programme set down by specialists.
As a first-team comeback looms just around the corner, Pitman is optimistic the injury will kindly stay away for the remainder of his playing career.
"The specialist assured me that if I continue to work hard and do my exercises, then there's a chance that the shoulder won't come out again," revealed Pitman.
"I've got to do those exercises through the rest of my career. I understand that and I'm willing to do it if it keeps me playing. I dislocated it about six or seven times last year. It came to the point where it needed doing.
"I could not go into this new season having the same problem. I would not have been mentally right.
"When the shoulder dislocates, it does not particularly hurt straight away. It becomes painful the next day or about five or six hours afterwards.
"It's something I've just got used to. I wanted to play until the end of last season because we were up there challenging for promotion.
"The gaffer asked me if I could continue and I said 'yes'. But I got frustrated with it and needed the operation."
Following surgery, Pitman was ordered to withdraw from contact in training for three months, proving a frustrating period for the former Woking man.
He added: "The specialist instructed me on certain things that I could and could not do. I was not able to compete in contact sport.
"It was always frustrating watching everybody train and not being able to do anything about it."
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