Luke O’Nien opens up on injury struggles at Sunderland

Luke O’Nien has not featured for Sunderland since late November due to a shoulder injury and is currently enduring a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

The 27-year-old has been one of the best performers for the Black Cats since their relegation from the Premier League and will be desperate to battle for a place in the first team under Alex Neil.

O’Nien was keen to publish his struggles on the sidelines and offer support to people in a similar situation.

The former Wycombe Wanderers man ,took to Instagram to express his emotions and explain his situation on Thursday evening.

He wrote: “I see myself as quite a strong person so thought I’d be ok dealing with a long term injury.

“I didn’t think that being sidelined would affect me.

“However, I was wrong, and being completely honest, I’ve struggled.

“I always thought if I got injured it would be quite straightforward.

“Do the necessary rehab and get stronger until I was fit to play again.

“Over the past few months I’ve discovered it’s not that simple and I’ve learnt a few tough lessons.

“I know there are other footballers going through similar so I’ve decided to share my experience in this post.

“Being injured and unable to play caused a massive unbalance in my life:

“My usual daily routine went out the window, I had more time on my hands and didn’t know how to fill it.

“Uncertainty set in – When will I get back? How long will it take? Will I be the same player? Will I play again?

“I felt lonely.

“I lost the daily connection I had with my teammates as I rehabbed in isolation.

“I started to question my identity.

“I’m a footballer.

“Who am I if I can’t play football?

“I got frustrated waiting for stitches and wounds to heal.

“Being unable to exercise resulted in my muscle