Tim Dieng is buzzing to be back in the thick of it for Gillingham after two months out injured following a tackle that left him fuming.
Frenchman Dieng admitted he feared the worst after a challenge from Grimsby Town’s Danny Amos in the last few seconds of their League 2 match back in early September, a tackle that left him with a grade two medial collateral ligament injury.
He’s back fully fit now and with a goal in his last match, in the FA Cup win against Charlton, Dieng’s feeling good again.
“I am buzzing to be playing again,” said the 31-year-old, speaking to the media for the first time since that injury.
“It was a tough time for me. The worst time of being a footballer is being injured, I went through it and I am feeling better every day and looking forward to Saturday. I am fully fit now.
“It could have been worse. When the guy tackled me I thought I would be out for about six months. I tried to do my best to come back as quick as possible and come back as fit as possible.
“I was fuming (at the time). It was the last kick of the game, they were 2-0 up, the game was done.
“(It was) in the middle of the pitch, he had nothing to gain from that tackle. If it was in the box, I would say ‘oh, fair play’ but it was a useless, needless tackle and it took me out for two months and that is frustrating, but that is football.
“I was quite angry, but it is what it is.
“I always try to stay positive. The lowest is when you are working on your own in the gym with the physio and the other players go and train. You are on your own doing some boring exercise, but you have to do it and that was the lowest.
“I kept in mind that it is just temporary and I will be back playing, I was just doing my best to be back as soon as possible in the best shape possible. I am back now so it is gone!
“I love to play football and so when I can’t it is very frustrating. Now that I can play again, it is a big relief, it’s great.”
Dieng has worked his way back up to full match fitness and played a part in a super Gills display last time out, beating League 1 Charlton in the FA Cup.
“That was amazing,” he said of that game. “As a team we had a great game, it could have been four or five nil and we need to keep playing like that every game and we will be fine. We needed that, result, and that performance.”
Dieng scored last time he played against Bradford in a 2-2 draw at Valley Parade in April.
“That was sweet,” said the midfielder, who spent two years at Bradford between 2016 and 2018. “Hopefully I am going to score against them again this Saturday!
“I have great memories there, it’s a big club, we were doing quite well, we went to the League 1 play-off final and lost to Neil Harris’ Millwall and Shaun Williams (the Gills captain) was there (at Millwall) as well, but I had a good time at Bradford.
“It’s a special club for me but there are no friends in football when you cross the white line – it will be a fight on Saturday.”
Dieng’s ready for a busy Christmas period – something he’s had to get used to since moving to England to play football.
He said: “In France there is a two week gap and as a player you have a week off so you can spend Christmas and new year with your family but here is different.
“Being far from my family I had to adapt…I understand it. For the fans it is great and I get it from their point of view.
“My family is going to come over here for Christmas this year which will be nice.”
