IT has been a long and arduous road to recovery for Duncan Watmore. Two serious cruciate knee ligament injuries inside a year can be as mentally draining as any young, professional footballer can face, and the Sunderland forward is determined to make the most of his fresh chance.

Watmore started his second game of the season, both have come away from League One strains, in the FA Cup against Walsall on Tuesday night. Even though the defeat left the Black Cats and the player disappointed, the bigger picture is that the 24-year-old emerged unscathed again.

That must have come as a relief to all concerned, having put so much time and effort into rebuilding his strength after such a lengthy couple of lay-offs.

Now the question is whether Watmore can repeat the sort of performance that made a him one of the Premier League’s hot prospects before rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament for the first time in December 2016. He is determined to, for the supporters as much as himself.

“I’ve said it all along, I’ve been so lucky with the fans and how they’ve treated me and their appreciation for me. I love them and I’m very grateful to be playing at a club as big as this and great as this,” said Watmore.

“I’ll always try to give my best. It’ll take me a while to get back to being as sharp and as quick and being able to do it repetitively, like I used to be able to do. I’m desperate to get back to that level but I need to be patient.

“I would just say thanks for all the support I’ve had because they’ve been brilliant, as have the players and everyone in and around the club. There’s too many people to name who have been so supportive of me and obviously my family and friends.”

Watmore has obviously been here before. After recovering from that initial injury picked up against Leicester, he suffered a repeat in his sixth game back after an eight-month lay-off against Millwall in November last year. He never kicked a ball again in the Championship.

Having endured the torment and heartache of those two blows, it would be understandable if he was wary of a repeat. Watmore has a positive outlook, though, and feels a little different this time around.

The 24-year-old said: “I think it’s quite tough to judge this early on. But just maybe there’s the luxury of extra patience because the lads are doing so well.

“Last time it was more, not rushed because everyone did everything right me, but there was just a different vibe around the place. Whereas the lads are doing well now and that’s great, and I’m loving watching us win games. There is a difference in that kind of feeling.

“We’ve put in a lot of work and it’s not been easy. But as I keep saying, the amount of work we’ve done and all the guys who’ve put in work with me, it doesn’t recreate the match day environment. It just takes a while to get back to that.

“There are moments when I feel sharp and then it’s just maintaining that fitness on the pitch, which is going to take a while. When I feel fresh I don’t feel like I’ve lost my pace and sharpness, which is obviously a big part of my game so that’s really important.

“The main thing I’m trying to build up now is that tolerance and that repetitiveness of maintaining it throughout a game and, at some point, lasting a full game.”

After the disappointment of the FA Cup exit to Walsall, Sunderland are back to League One duty on Saturday when they will look to climb back into the top two by defeating Bristol Rovers. Whether manager Jack Ross decides to field him or not, Watmore is convinced his boss has his best interests at heart.

Watmore said: “I think it’s easy for me now, because I’ve experienced so many tough times. Obviously I want to be playing as much as I can, but the amount of time I’ve experienced out – a couple of weeks, a couple of months – is nothing compared to two years.

“I’ve got to be realistic and sensible, as are the gaffer, coaches and everyone has been brilliant with their patience and how they manage me.

“The manager’s been brilliant, he’s been patient and he’s managed me well. We’re at a stage now where we can kick on and hopefully I can play more. I still have to manage it carefully and I keep needing to remind myself that.

“I felt really sharp and fit before the first knee injury I ever did and I can’t expect to get back to that straight away so I’ve got to be realistic and patient.”

But he does not expect to stroll immediately into the Sunderland starting line-up.

Watmore added: “If you come into a team and you’re starting straight away it’s maybe a sign that the club is not in a position where you want to be, whereas it’s the complete opposite here.

“It’s going to be very hard for me to get my position back, which is great and something I am really excited about because the lads are doing well. The only way I can is by playing better than them and they’re playing really well, so it’s a challenge.”