Luke O'Nien has been one of the first names on the Sunderland team sheet during his time at the Stadium of Light.
However, 'Mr. Versatile' has not had it plain sailing during his time on Wearside.
It's fair to say O'Nien has suffered from his fair share of injuries and the 27-year-old has admitted he's struggled mentally to cope this time out.
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The Sunderland midfielder has often spoken about his positive mindset and his bubbly character is one of the reason's he so loved on Wearside.
In a heartfelt message on Instagram, O'Nien gave an insight into the uncertainty he's face in recent months.
He said: "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 straight forward. 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 mass dropping significantly so I felt as if my body was getting weaker.
"I felt like I wasn’t contributing to my team. All I could do was watch them play from the sidelines week in week out.
"Being injured led to me feeling lonely, to not wanting to get out of bed in the morning, to not wanting to be social. I became withdrawn, frustrated and angry. I took it out on the people I love the most, being grumpy, snappy and I imagine quite difficult to live with.
"In all honest I was really surprised at the effect being injured had on my life and I’ve had to do some work on myself to get out of the rut.
"When injured we may not be able to train our bodies but we can use the time to train our minds. I realised that I couldn’t just sit there and hope to feel better or bury the pain. That I had to do something about it."
O'Nien was one of the reason's behind Sunderland's Papa John's Trophy win last season. The 27-year-old played out of position in the heart of defence and was integral to the way Lee Johnson's side set up.
He goes on to say what's helped him during his time out injured and how he's stayed connected in other ways.
O'Nien said: "Here are the things that helped me: Get more certainty by making new daily routines & setting / working towards targets. Having structure in the day is really important and definitely helps.
"Stay connected with people in a different way. For example while I’ve been injured me and my friend have been helping the Sunderland academy players.
"Re-define who you are. You can't define yourself by something that can get taken away or will stop one day. You’re not just ‘a footballer’ you are a person who plays football amongst other things.
"Contribute in a different way. You may not be able to play but there are other ways you can help the team succeed. Maybe you can support other players or the club in some other way.
"Grow as a player. You have time to reflect. Study yourself. Talk to players who have been there and done it, who you can learn from. Their advice can make you a better player and person.
"An injury is a great time to rebuild the body but even better, to rebuild the mind! I just wanted to let you injured players out there know…I understand how you feel, I’ve felt it. But I promise you better days are ahead."t
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