Scunthorpe United's Michael Collins feared career was over

Even with five minutes of stoppages, Michael Collins' time on the pitch at Swindon Town equated to just eight minutes.

Their significance, though, cannot be under-stated.

The dying embers of that 1-1 stalemate at the County Ground were the dullest of an often entertain clash.

For Collins, the hard-working midfielder who has spent more than a year on the sidelines, battling with an Achilles problem and tendinopathy, they were the most refreshing of his career.

Be it in the battle for Championship survival, or for a first-team place, never has the 26-year-old conceded defeat.

Publicly he has always purveyed positivity – one of the traits which made him a target for his former Iron manager, Nigel Adkins.

So when Collins looks back upon 14 months out of the game with such spine-chilling honesty, it is clear there really have been some dark days for the former Huddersfield Town man.

"I feared my career was over," Collins, who furthered his comeback by playing the entire second half of Tuesday night's defeat against Preston North End, told the Telegraph, on the back of his County Ground cameo.

"There was definitely one time in particular, I'd had a few injections – different ones over the course of five or six months – and none of them were working.

"I actually sat down with my mum and dad and, as hard as it for me to admit it, there were a few tears shed. I honestly thought I was finished.

"But we made the decision to have the operation and since then I've felt a lot better.

"To come back, I feel like I've got a fresh start in football.

"Anything that happened in my career before, good or bad, it's kind of irrelevant now. I've got a clean slate and I'm determined to drive on now and hopefully, staying injury free, I'm confident I can have a good career."

'Like signing a new player', one of football's favourite cliches when players in the category Collins has experienced come back from injury.

On the flip side, the midfielder's return back to the first-team dressing room must feel like joining a new club.

Never one to take anything for granted, even being back in day-to-day involvement at a club where outside of the dressing room, negativity has taken hold, has been an experience for Collins to cherish.

He continued: "I was laughing with Brassy (assistant boss Chris Brass) after the game on Saturday and said, in the six or seven minutes I played I was breathing far more heavily than any point in the two reserve games put together.

"But I actually really, really thrived off that. That's what I've missed.

"There was even an incident where I got sold a bit of a short ball and got smashed by one of their players, and I enjoyed that as well.

"When you've had it taken away from you, you appreciate it far, far more. I realise now how privileged you are to be a footballer and what a lucky job it is, and how much you've also got to fully commit to it.

"The injury has matured me, it's made me grow up and almost made me become a man, so to speak, without being cliched.

"I'm looking to grasp this opportunity, a second chance at football, with both hands."

Life after football now seems positively distant for Collins, on the back of his comeback.

It is not long ago though that things appeared much more bleak.

When it became difficult to keep his body in shape, the Yorkshireman trained to his mind.

Suddenly the future doesn't seem so daunting.

"I started a university course on sports science," Collins said.

"I think regardless of what happens with my injury or whatever I will remain in sport. I love the game.

"When you don't play it for a period you realise how much you miss it. This is my life and it's all I want to do; all I want to do is play football or be involved in football.

"I started a university course geared around getting myself set-up for if I ever have to move into coaching or that side of it, which I would like to do. I thought 'what better way than to do it now'.

"That's still ongoing. Obviously my football's the main focus and that will always be the main focus, but even doing that it's kind of opened my eyes up to the fact you can't play forever.

"It was a shock to the system!

"The last time I really tested my brain was probably when I was 18 in the youth team when you have to go to college.

"Since then I've literally done nothing, so it's like my mind had gone to mush when I opened the books!

"It's good, sometimes it's good to give yourself another focus and switch off from focusing on football. It's good to test yourself.

"But football's my main focus and that's all I'll be concentrating on now in the coming weeks."

The Iron will hope to reap the rewards.