JOE Bryan believes he has reached his best physical condition for years as he looks to build on a “bang average” debut campaign at Millwall.
The full-back’s season was curtailed by repeated injuries, including a groin problem that saw him miss the Lions’ final seven games.
But after multiple surgeries and turning up to pre-season four weeks earlier than his teammates, Bryan is confident he can finally put his setbacks behind him.
Speaking last week before Millwall’s squad flew to Spain yesterday, Bryan told NewsAtDen: “I’m feeling stronger than I’ve felt in a long time. I’ve spent a long time on the training ground over the summer with the physios and fitness coaches making sure I recovered from surgery properly and can do my best this season.
“It was essentially four small surgeries in one hit. So hopefully we’ve isolated the problems and what was causing all of my issues last year in regards to injury, fitness and not feeling quite myself.
“It feels like it has worked in building fitness and getting back to myself.”
Bryan was among the Millwall players who featured in the friendly at Gillingham just over a week ago and he almost helped open the scoring when he cut the ball back to Romain Esse, who proceeded to put his shot over the bar.
The 30-year-old said match fitness takes a while to build back up.
He said: “[Even when] you spend a lot of time running, you’re not doing the uncontrolled movements you would do in a match. So once you add the concentration of a match back in and the unpredictable movements of football, your body just isn’t used to it as it hasn’t done it for five-six weeks.
“And if you’ve had surgery, all your muscles have tightened up so it’s a just slow process of easing back in. Match fitness doesn’t come until four, five games into the season.”
Having signed for Millwall as a free agent in the summer of 2023, Bryan has made 25 appearances in all competitions. The defender was self-critical and brutally honest as he reviewed his first season in SE16.
He said: “Completely bang average. Potentially below average. I was pretty disappointed with the majority of my performances but that is life, unfortunately.
“Football does throw curve balls at you when you think you’ve dealt with everything and this is another thing I have to deal with.
“If I come off the pitch at the end of this season having had a healthy year and tried my best, I’ll be happy.”
All of Millwall’s players will be looking to have a stronger season after last year’s topsy-turvy thirteenth-place finish in the Championship.
The Lions have made four signings so far with the most high-profile acquisition so far being the return of Japhet Tanganga on a permanent contract following his loan spell last season.
Bryan was happy to see the re-appearance of his very popular team-mate.
He said: “Ah Japh, I love the boy. When he first came in, he fit in really well and I think that played a huge part in him wanting to come back.
“It’s a place where he’s comfortable and a place where, as you saw in the last six months of the season, he can do really well and thrive.
“This club gives him the platform to do that, show off his quality and show leadership.”