Ebbsfleet United goalkeeper Chris Haigh says second National League South promotion of the season with Oxford City eases pain of double leg break

Ebbsfleet goalkeeper Chris Haigh celebrated his second promotion from the same division in a month on Sunday.

It’s been a remarkable turnaround for the 26-year-old after a double leg break in August threatened to ruin his campaign.

But the likeable keeper has bounced back in style, regaining fitness in double swift-time with the Fleet before heading on loan to Oxford City and helping them win the National League South play-off Final.

“People keep asking me if it’s a record and I don’t know!” said Haigh. “I’d like to think so. It feels a little bit surreal, though.

“To go from double leg break in August to double promotion in May is a big turnaround. I’m chuffed to bits with how the season has gone now.

“I’m genuinely so proud of myself, a lot of hard work has gone into this year. It was a massive setback to me after such a promising start but I always feel you get your rewards for putting the work in so I couldn’t be any happier.

“Ebbsfleet really looked after me during that period and it was thanks to them that I came through a good rehab and was then able to help Oxford get promoted.

“I definitely feel that the way the season has ended has given good purpose and meaning behind my season. I felt that anyway after getting promoted with Ebbsfleet.

“I know I didn’t play as many minutes as I’d liked to have played - that’s obvious. But I was in such a good place at the start of the season and performing well that I definitely felt part of the group, regardless.

“To go and get promoted with Oxford afterwards, I couldn’t ask for a better way to end the season. It eases the pain of breaking my leg and I don’t think I’d change it, to be honest.”

Haigh enjoyed an excellent pre-season and was pushing Fleet’s summer signing Mark