Michael Dawson is desperate to play a part in Tottenham s title challenge after emerging unscathed from his comeback match on Saturday.
The centre-back, 28, has missed the previous four months with an Achilles injury but made a confident return to first-team action at White Hart Lane in Spurs 3-0 FA Cup victory over Cheltenham.
It was nice to be back out there after so long in the treatment room, Dawson said.
It s been a long while since I ve been out at White Hart Lane and running out and playing so it s a nice feeling to be back.
It s never nice to be injured and with the way the team is playing, the lads are flying and credit to them. Long may it continue.
The squad s been there and done well and everyone s got to take credit for that.
It s a squad game, Sandro and William (Gallas) are out now, players have to come in.
The players that were out on the pitch on Saturday the gaffer s rested 10 of the players that played in the last game. They all went out and performed, all credit to them.
After the pivotal role Dawson played in the 2009/10 year that saw Tottenham qualify for the Champions League, he has spent a lengthy amount of time on the treatment table for each of the subsequent seasons missing a portion of the last campaign with a knee injury.
He said: I was out three months last year but went on to play lots of games.
Injuries are a hard time and when you come back, you need to go out there and perform to the best of your ability and do what you can.
I always back myself. It s nice to get today out of the way. We have training on Monday and I look forward to it.
The lads have earned the right to be where they are and they deserve it. I ll be looking forward to being part of it now, back injury-free.
Dawson insisted that although the Premier League may be viewed as Tottenham s priority, he had his sights set on a trip to Wembley.
We were in the semi-final in 2010 and it s great, he said. It s the FA Cup, it s special.
We put out a team today and went out and did a professional job.
A trip to Wembley would be amazing but you ve got to earn the right to do that.
