CLARK KELTIE last night revealed how he feared his professional football career was over when his Darlington contract neared its end earlier this year.

In missing the remaining four months of the 2004/05 campaign with a knee injury, Keltie, by his own stark admission, didn't know what to expect when he was summoned to manager David Hodgson's office in May.

But, while the 22-year-old was still two months away from his scheduled return when he sat down to discover his fate, the midfielder was relieved to put pen-to-paper on a deal to keep him at the club until the end of 2005.

He said: "I wasn't really sure what the manager was going to do when I went in for the contract talks. I hadn't played for a few months and the manager could easily have let me go then. When he gave me until the end of the year I was really grateful.

"I have another month left, which is not a long time, but all I can do is get my head down and if I get a chance take it."

After spending six months recovering from cruciate knee ligament damage, Keltie returned to training in the summer, before an ankle injury dented any hopes the player had of being fit in time for the new season.

"It's been a bad year," admitted Keltie. "I was down at first, but once you think about things you have to get on with it.

"It's great to be training in the morning with the rest of the lads, rather than sitting in the gym for a couple of hours working by myself. All the lads have been great in helping me through this year and it's just good to be involved again."

Keltie was finally given the all-clear to resume full training last month, before making his long-awaited first-team return against Wycombe less than a fortnight ago as a first half substitute. But, it was a comeback to forget for the Tynesider, who was sent off in stoppage time for a professional foul.

Keltie's intervention, which denied Wycombe an almost certain goal, was later praised by Hodgson after Quakers hung on for a draw.

"I couldn't believe that after coming on for my first game I would be getting sent off," said Keltie. "It did knock me a bit, but the lads have had a laugh about it and really it didn't cost the club anything.

"I was disappointed, but when I come off the manager told me I'd done the right thing.

Read more about the Quakers here.