St Helens' Alex Walmsley says he is both nervous and excited as the prop returns to rugby league action after breaking his neck.
The 28-year-old front rower sustained the injury against Warrington at the Halliwell Jones Stadium last March.
He underwent a five-hour operation and spent months rehabilitating but he is now fit for the start of the new Super League season which begins against Wigan Warriors on January 31 live on Sky Sports.
"I'm sure there are going to be few nerves before the first few games," Walmsley told Sky Sports News. "I think the biggest part is remembering how to play, it's been that long.
"It's going to be a tough battle to get back to the sort of form I was at. There are a lot of nerves going on, but exciting nerves.
"Last year was a tough year, I'm looking forward to putting that year to bed now and starting again. It's been a long time since I've been out on a pitch and playing a game of rugby so I'm looking forward to it."
Walmsley, a Man of Steel nominee in 2015, made 151 appearances for St Helens after joining from Batley at the start of the 2013 season.
He made his England debut in the second week of the 2017 World Cup in Australia but feared he would never play again following the injury 10 months ago.
"Being told you've broken your neck is not the greatest thing to hear, it's not ideal either is it?" he added. "But it's the nature of the beast, it's the game we play and unfortunately for me for I got a bit of a bad one.
"My first thought was, am going to be able to go home? Am I going to be able to pick my son up? Am I going to be able to walk? The stigma that comes with that sort of injury plays on your mind a little bit and once you put that to bed it's then, am I going to be able to play rugby again?
"That was a tough question to ask and the doubts were there until I had the surgery.
"Thankfully that went well and since then it's been quite positive and finally we've got to the end of the road where I can start playing again.
"To be told back in December it's solid now, you can go again, was nice. It was nice to hear those words because they'd been a long time coming."