Dennis Cirkin knows there is still a little way to go before he is back to his best and at full fitness but the defender is just pleased to be back doing what he loves as he continues his return during Sunderland's pre-season schedule.
Cirkin is part of Régis Le Bris' squad in Spain having featured in Sunderland's 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on Friday after being one of a number of players who suffered a challenging 2023-24 season through injury.
Cirkin was limited to just eight Championship appearances last year and did not feature for Sunderland after pulling out of November's 3-1 win over Birmingham City with a hamstring injury which would subsequently require surgery in the new year. The full-back returned to training in the final weeks of the season but with Sunderland's prospects of a top-six finish long gone, the decision was made to err on the side of caution with the 22-year-old and focus on getting a full pre-season under his belt as opposed to any potential setback by being brought back too early last season.
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Cirkin made his first appearance in over eight months when starting in the pre-season defeat at Gateshead before heading off to Spain where he has acknowledged his current situation as a 'work in progress' as he bids to be back to full match fitness ahead of Sunderland's trip to Cardiff City to begin the new season in three weeks time.
"My first reaction when anyone mentions anything, the heat or anything, is that I'm just grateful to be back playing," Cirkin explained on being back in full training. "No matter how hard it is, and how hard pre-season gets, I'm just enjoying every single session and every minute of the experience, whether that's on or off the pitch.
"It's a work in progress, for sure. I'm not yet where I want to be, but that's what pre-season is for and I was able to come into it fully fit which is what I needed.
"It was one of the toughest years I've had," Cirkin added on his injury plagued 2023-24 campaign. "But I came out of it having learned a lot more than I had in any other years I've had.
"To be honest, I don't really want to look back because it can be difficult, looking back and trying to understand what went wrong, what you could have done and sometimes I think it's just better to take what you can from it, learn what you can from it, and then just leave it in the past."
And Cirkin is part of an entire Sunderland squad who will be keen to leave last season in the past after failing to reach expectations in the Championship following a dismal second half to the season which saw the club win just five times in 2024 across all competitions resulting in a 16th placed finish in the table.
But under a new regime of Le Bris, hope and optimism is beginning to emerge once more on Wearside and the prospect of a much-improved season under the Frenchman - something Cirkin believes will be possible as the squad continues to get to grips with their new head coach.
"It's a good feeling here," he said. "It's early days and we're all getting to know the gaffer and vice versa. We've had a lot of meetings already and we feel it's going to be a good one [season]. Those relationships are building.
"A new season always feels like a new start and you can't dwell too much on the past, it's about learning and trying to change what you can in the future. It's been a while since I've played competitively, so I'm excited to see what I can do and what I can maybe bring to this team.
"There's a lot of different dynamics in the team, so that's exciting and interesting to see how that's going to go. I've had a few good chats with the new head coach, as all of us have, and it's gone well so far."
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A fully fit Cirkin will be a huge asset for Le Bris given Sunderland's struggles at full-back in the second half of last season with Niall Huggins also suffering a season-ending injury in December.
Cirkin, who joined the club from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2021 ahead of the promotion winning campaign in League One, made a big impact in the club's first year back in the Championship despite making just 28 appearances - the full-back's two goals in a win over West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns in April 2023 integral to Sunderland reaching the play-offs that season.
And while Cirkn, who still has two-years left to run on his current deal at the Stadium of Light, harbours ambitions of being able to contribute more goals and assists to the team, it's the balance the 22-year-old will provide on the left side of the pitch and being able to aid winger Jack Clarke more naturally which Sunderland will immediately welcome with his return to the first team squad.
"I'm hoping I can help the team with some goals and assists, and to be honest to just get down that left side again because it's my favourite thing in the world," said Cirkin.
"It's nice to link up with Jack [Clarke] again as well, he's a brilliant player and our connection on the pitch is second to none. I'm looking forward to see him doing his thing again, it's just exciting."
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