Mayo ace Tom Parsons speaks about his recovery from injury

MAYO GAA star Tom Parsons has spoken to the media for the first time about how he is recovering from the serious leg injury he sustained in the Connacht SFC quarterfinal against Galway in Castlebar on May 13.

In an interview with he widely popular 'Off the Ball' programme on Newstalk last night, the Charlestown midfielder stated: "I’m good at the moment but it’s been a tough two weeks. I’ve ruptured three of the four ligaments and I’ve torn the fourth.

“There’s tears to the calf and hamstring as well and knee is fully dislocated. You never think it’ll be you.

"It was just another tackle. I just remember my leg being in trouble and trying to get that leg out. I looked down and within seconds Aidan O’Shea had his hand on my forehead and pushed my head back and said, 'Tom don’t look at it'.

“Then I saw him waving in the medical team. I have such a good medical team around me. If you see panic in people’s eyes that will just make things a whole lot worse.

"The pain was something that I just can’t get my head around. Now I understand what 10 is, this was just excruciating. The pain was short term, it was temporary. I’ve looked at the pictures, I haven’t looked at the video and I’m not going to. I just need to get my head around what happened and understand it and that’s why I looked at the picture.

"The support I received was magical and I really am thankful to everyone. When I am low and I need some inspiration I know I’m going to go back to these messages,

"It has been overwhelming and I will hold it close to my heart and it’s given me great encouragement. It is an opportunity to spend more time with family.

“I’ll give it everything in my power to come back and play football with my club and Mayo. That goal to just walk, that goal to just jog, once I can walk, I’ll jog, once I can jog I’ll run."