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ESPNsoccernet: England | |
Kieron Dyer feels his injury-plagued career might have been different had he enjoyed the benefits of modern sports science much earlier.
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The QPR winger came on as a substitute in his club's 2-1 defeat to Tottenham at the weekend, with the subsequent 88 minutes providing his longest appearance in 19 months.
And, with methods like saliva tests ensuring that his physique is now meticulously monitored, Dyer praised the approach that has given him another chance.
He said: "I'm on a special, high-intensity training programme with lots of sports science involved and haven't missed a training session this season.
"We take saliva tests, pee tests, everything in the morning. If my saliva test is a bit high they pull me out of training or modify it. They're doing fantastically well for me and it seems to be working.
"They take a swab and can tell if you're feeling stressed, if your body's not 100%. That's the way the game is going.
"It's all ifs and buts. We'll never know what might have happened if I'd had this treatment before."
Dyer also praised manager Mark Hughes for awarding him a new contract despite his injury troubles.
"As soon as the manager came in he said, 'I want you to get fit and next season we're going to give you another chance because I've played against you in the past and I know what you can do'.
"That's how long I've been playing! Hopefully I can repay the faith the manager has shown.
"I hope I've got a lot of games left. I haven't played regularly for the last four years so hopefully I'm still classed as a 28-year-old!"