Nathan Broadhead hopes he has timed his comeback from injury to perfection as Sunderland look to secure a play-off place in the final month of the season. Broadhead was the Black Cats' hero when he came off the bench to score a 95th minute winner against Gillingham at the Stadium of Light at the weekend, lifting the club back into the play-off spots.
The 23-year-old on-loan Everton striker suffered a hamstring injury just before Christmas and, while he returned to action at the beginning of March at Charlton, he aggravated the problem and spent a further month on the sidelines. But Broadhead is confident that he is now fully over the injury and can now help Sunderland book a play-off slot over the remaining six games of the campaign.
"The thing with a hamstring is you have to be patient and I'm not really a patient guy with injuries," said Broadhead. "Maybe I came back maybe a bit too early [against Charlton], I don't know, but I felt good in my head at the time but my body never agreed with it.
"You learn from these mistakes and hopefully from now on it can be a good run with me in the team and scoring goals. That is what I was thinking of when I was injured - coming back here.
"The club has believed in me and kept me on so I need to repay them. I felt great [against Gillingham]. I felt sharp.
"Another week in training will do me the world of good."
Sunderland looked to be on course for a second successive goalless draw as the clock ticked down against Gillingham and the game went deep into injury time. But Broadhead was on hand to meet Elliot Embleton's cross, and direct his header into the far corner.
It was a goal that produced an explosion of joy and relief in the stands, and Broadhead took off his shirt as he raced
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