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Danny Rose has revealed he is seeing a psychologist to help him cope with the trauma of being sidelined for nine months by injury.
Rose has made three appearances for Tottenham since finally recovering from a knee ligament injury sustained at Sunderland in January.
The 27-year-old played his first full 90 minutes against Crystal Palace on Sunday and is back in the England squad that will face Germany and Brazil over the next week. But the Spurs left-back says he has had counselling to help his recovery.
He said: "I have started seeing a psychologist to try and help me think positively. I have started reading books, too. This injury has been one of the most difficult periods of my life.
"Last season I was doing well, I felt untouchable, I felt like I was one of the best, I felt that if I carried on with that form, anything could have happened, then the injury happened.
"It humbled me, it brought me back down to earth, it handed me a reality check. It just made me realise that football can be taken away from you at any given point.
"It happened in a freak accident and it was very hard to deal with, especially at the time when I thought I’d only be out for a couple of weeks but the weeks turned to months.
"I have spent a lot of time thinking about things. It’s hard not to when you have been out for so long and you see your team flying and your country doing well to qualify for the World Cup.
"I have been having some help to channel my thoughts in a better way and hopefully that can help push me on."
Rose, who underwent a knee operation in May, revealed in a joint interview with talkSPORT and BBC Five Live that things got so bad, he fell out of love with football.
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He added: "It was only two months ago that I was doing some rehab at St George’s Park and I lost my appetite to get back fit because I didn't think it was ever going to happen.
"But it gave me a break from the club. It was a bit stressful for me there [at Spurs], seeing the same faces every day. I have been impressed, jealous and angry watching Tottenham’s games.
"I came to St George’s, worked and then I went back to Tottenham and started training again. Once I was doing that, I fell in love with football again.
"I have learned that it’s good to talk to people, not to sit back on your own and think about things by yourself."
Rose is now determined to get his career back on track for club and country, with a place in England’s World Cup squad providing extra motivation.
He added: "Ryan [Bertrand], Aaron Cresswell and all the other left-backs have got nine months on me to get in the manager’s [Gareth Southgate] plans for the World Cup. I can’t cry about it, I just have to use the time I’ve been given to force my way back.
"My confidence has not been knocked. I still believe in my ability and think that I’m one of the best out there. It’s nice that my England manager feels the same by including me in this camp."
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