Ex-Leeds United ace Niall Huggins feared for Sunderland career as he opens up on 'horrendous' injury nightmare

Niall Huggins admits he feared his career as a professional footballer was in doubt during his two years of injury hell at Sunderland.

Huggins has been reflecting on his recent progress after winning his first call up to the Wales senior squad.

The full back suffered a stress fracture of the back shortly after signing from Leeds United in 2021, an issue which then repeated in other areas of the body.

Huggins has explained that medics were at a loss to explain the problem, other than to identify a weakness in the full back's bones. Months of treatment eventually corrected the issue, allowing Huggins to phase a return to action. While some inevitable minor issues followed as his body readjusted to the rigours of senior football, the 22-year-old was able to play a full part in pre season and has never looked back as a result.

He has now played 13 games across all competitions this season, and scored his first professional goal in the 2-0 win over Watford. The defender could make his international debut as Wales take on Armenia and Turkey in the current international break.

Huggins is revelling in his comeback but admits it can still be tough to think back to his long spell on the sidelines, particularly as he had so little clarity during it.

“The last two years have been horrendous, awful to be honest," he told Press Association.

“When I first joined Sunderland, I suffered an initial stress fracture in my back and that put me out for four or five months.

“I had the same sort of issue but in different places when I was doing my rehab and it was something we struggled to get to the bottom of.

“There was never a reason for why it was happening. All the tests we did, nothing ever seemed to stand out.

“It was just that the bones were weak, which made it tough.

“Yes, 100 per cent [feared for my career].

"It got to the point where every time I was doing the rehab, the first few steps back on the grass, it was always there in the back of my mind.

“I would think: ‘Is this going to happen again?’ And you do start to worry. The years are going by on the contract and you are worrying about it.

“When I did finally start to get fit, it helped so much mentally. But it is still hard to look back on.”

Huggins says his call up to the Wales side is an 'amazing' feeling after a superb start to the campaign at Sunderland.

“It literally feels like I’m starting my professional career," he said.

“This is the first year where I can really show what I can do and what level I can play at. To have the call-up to the senior team shows that even more.

“It wasn’t even at the back of my mind, but it felt amazing."

Huggins is expected to retain his place when Sunderland take on Plymouth Argyle after the international break later this month.