Memela thrilled to be back from injury

Cape Town - Orlando Pirates winger Luvuyo Memela is delighted to be back in the first-team spotlight after making his long-awaited return from injury.

Memela, 31, has hit the ground running after regaining full fitness, playing a starring role in Pirates' 4-1 victory over AmaZulu at the weekend.

And, having undergone a lengthy rehabilitation process, Memela admits it is a major relief to be playing again.

"It is great to be back on the playing field," he told the club’s official website. "It's been a long time since I last played.

"Coming back to the starting line-up and scoring is what dreams are all about.

"Any player will attest to this, but there is nothing nice about injury and the process of returning from that situation.

"It's not only the physical demand of rehabilitation that gets to you but also the mental part.

"You train alone while your teammates train on the field and secondly, because we are not robots, the rehabilitation process isn't straightforward - you sometimes suffer setbacks which delay your return.

"All this puts a lot of pressure on a player."

Memela will be hoping to be involved again this coming Saturday, when Pirates take on Golden Arrows at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Durban.