By Matthew Ascroft

I've hardly been away; I've been here constantly all summer apart from my wedding and a week off. My knee is really good and it's a massive weight off my shoulders to have had it done and they have actually found something.For two years everyone has been saying 'it's tendentious', but you got to manage it and deal with the pain. They opened it up and found there was a cyst on the back of my knee which had been getting bigger and bigger and got more painful.It didn't show on the scans.To have found something and having had it dealt with, it now feels really good.

Alan Bent said I'm fitter than I have been for a long time. I had the operation two days after the Shrewsbury game and I have been in ever since, so I feel good.

The play off defeat still hurts a bit, but I'm looking forward to this season and I hope we get automatic or play offs.

I think Ryan Lowe and Danny Carlton are really good signings. Ryan is a goal scorer and I know Danny from playing against him in the Conference and he is a goal scorer, so it will be tough for places in the team. You got to be on your game if you want to be in the team.

The gaffer had a good quote over the summer - if you're not scoring goals, you are not in the team.There are going to be two disappointed players and they will be working hard to get into the team so it is going to be good.

There's only been one speculation story about me this summer which is strange, but I think it comes from being injured and from not playing my best since Christmas. Last year was strange, I was having injections to play, but once they wore off or didn't work, I had a local anaesthetic for the play offs.

My knee numbed after that and I couldn't feel anything. Before the first Shrewsbury game I had an injection in my knee and as I was driving to the second game, my leg got very numb and I started to think "Oh my god when is it going to stop", but it's good not to have speculation so I can concentrate on getting fit.'

It was ridiculous being told that it was tendinitis, you just have to manage it and you don't know how you're going to cope or get through the next game.It got to the point that if I played on Saturday, I couldn't run on Tuesday or play probably, so it's nice to know I'll going to be alright.

I'm looking forward to starting the new season. As I've said, I've been in constantly over the summer.Everyone has been talking about it and I'm fit and want to get out there playing again.

I've had a look at the fixtures and I'm looking forward to playing West Brom because I'm a Wolves fan, so it would be nice to play them. On the first day Bournemouth will be a tough game as they are a tough team. An early Rochdale game is always nice so I'm happy about that.

I've not set a target this year, but I just want to be fit and we will see where that takes me. I scored 18 goals last season but Ryan Lowe did as well so it will be a tough competition.