Alex Baptiste says it was a relief to be back in action after making his return from an Achilles injury on Tuesday.
The experienced defender played 45 minutes for Rovers’ Development side against Rotherham United at Cantley Park – his first appearance at any level since August.
He said: “It felt good to be back out on the field, I’ve still got a lot of work to do to get that sharpness back but I enjoyed it.
“There were a few nerves before the game especially given the time I’ve had out, it was my first game for six months so I had to work on a few things.
“The timing and positioning will come with games, I’m looking forward to kicking on now and building myself up.”
After speeding up the recovery process and returning much quicker than initially expected, Baptiste is just happy to be back fit after thinking at one point that his career may have been over.
He added: “I thought I would have to retire, I know how bad the injury is because I follow a lot of basketball and I’ve seen it keep players out for a year in that sport.
“I had the experience of a long term injury before, it’s a grind and you’re doing the same things every day and those little steps all add up.
“Luckily I’ve managed to heal well and with the help of the physio and the manager I’ve got back sooner than expected.”
