Sidelined for 538 days and back with a bang - Owen Bailey's story

Replacing Henri Saivet in the 85th minute, his brief appearance from the substitutes' bench in sunny Norfolk marked the end of a dark and difficult road for the 22-year-old following two significant setbacks from a lateral meniscus injury (tearing of the knee), first sustained in the opening stages of the 2019/20 campaign.

Not only did he manage to feature for the young Magpies but, with seconds remaining in the goalless contest, he netted a dramatic last-minute winner before wheeling away to celebrate with his ecstatic team-mates.

"I was buzzing to be back," he recalls with delight. "All those hours, all the scans, all the appointments with the specialists and those hours in the hospitals. All of the operations and gym sessions then seemed worth it.

"You start thinking back to the days of how hard it was and then you fall straight back in love with football. You miss it so much.

"You don't realise when you're playing how much you actually do miss it until it's taken away from you, especially for such a long time. It was the best feeling ever to be back out there."

Prior to his injury battles, Bailey was an ever-present for United's under-23 squad, captaining the young Magpies to the 2019 Premier League 2 Division Two play-off final and Premier League Cup final as well as retaining their Hong Kong Citi Soccer Sevens title, scoring the golden goal in the 2019 final against Rangers.

The versatile defender, 20 years old at the time, was then included in United's senior squad for their pre-season trip to China before making a first-team debut for his boyhood club against Wolverhampton Wanderers in Nanjing before the injury worries slowly began occurring.

"It started in a pre-season friendly against Rotherham United at the end of July," he says. "I made a slide tackle and my leg sort of went under me. I didn't really think anything of it at the time, I just couldn't lock out my leg which felt weird but it was fine after that.

"I just cracked on but I did it again when we played against Reading (under-23s) in our first game of the season. We got battered 6-0 and I got sent off so I missed the next couple of games through suspension.

"In the next game I played, against Norwich, I jumped up for a header and it went again. I could play the rest of the game - but I was just in a lot of pain and then after that, it would be so swollen I couldn't play for a couple of weeks."

It was then against Swansea City on September 30th, 2019, where fighting through the pain barrier in his left knee proved a step too far for Bailey.

The young Magpies suffered a 1-0 defeat against the Swans, conceding in stoppage-time at St. James' Park, with the youngster unaware as he trudged off the Tyneside turf that those were to be his final minutes on a football pitch before his lengthy absence.

"In the Swansea game, it was a ball in behind and I turned to run but it just blew up," he recalls. "I couldn't straighten my leg. That time, it was excruciating pain. I just about got through the full 90 minutes but it was practically unbearable so that was when I went to see a specialist.

"I remember coming home from that match, sitting with my family and feeling devastated. I'd been trying to put off an operation but I knew I'd need one and then when I went to see him (the specialist) again and he told me I could be out for six months, I was gutted.

"It was such an important time for me. It felt like your world was over at that point. I'd been with the first-team in China during pre-season and it was a real chance to show what I've got and try to really push on.

"I was hoping to go out on loan as well which scuppered that chance too. It came at the worst possible time and massively stopped my progress."

Following his operation in October 2019, six months passed and Bailey had carried out his gruelling rehabilitation work at United's Little Benton Academy as he aimed to return for the conclusion of the 2019/20 season.

His comeback, however, was put on further hold but in the most unexpected of circumstances. 

"I've had daft little breaks before, I say daft like my elbow, but it was nothing compared to this injury," Bailey said. "It was very tough to deal with. The first time I got injured, I wasn't feeling so bad because I knew roughly when I was going to be back.

"It was my first serious injury and it was a terrible time but I was still positive because I didn't think it would be ages. I think I was due back to train on Friday (13th March 2020), and then it was on the Thursday that Mikel Arteta and Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for coronavirus. 

"I remember sitting in the changing room and it came up on the television that the Premier League had been stopped with immediate effect. I knew that was going to impact the under-23s and that was another delay.

"It's hard because you look at things like that and you see people dying from Covid. It certainly gave me a lot of perspective. They're in a much worse place than me. It's a very serious matter and I although I wanted to be back playing, there were much more important things going on in the world."

The coronavirus outbreak sparked a global pandemic, resulting in the postponement of the under-23s' Premier League 2 campaign, with Bailey forced to wait until the following term before the possibility of setting foot on a football pitch.

Carrying out exercise programmes at home, whilst living with his parents and older brother, Ryan, he attempted to use lockdown to the best of his advantage and return to pre-season training in prime condition ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.  

"I was absolutely devastated because it was sort of one thing after another," he said. "One way I tried to deal with it was getting as fit as I could. We had a running programme and I was doing that everyday with my brother. I'd be going on long bike rides or playing tennis. I'd never been so fit in my life!

"I was then doing ball work, passing and stuff, with him and his friend, Louis, when we were able to. I felt really sharp. 

"I came back from the injury in August, trained three times and I felt alright. I was really looking forward to really pushing on and trying to get as far as I could."

Raring to go and bidding to make up for lost time, Bailey was set to participate in a warm-up match at Newcastle's Academy before disaster struck again.

He revisits the harrowing moment of laying on the floor alongside fitness coach, Simon Tweddle, and the sinking realisation that another lengthy setback was awaiting him.

"I didn't have much pain but then I had an in-house game," he recalls. "We all agreed that I was going to give it a go but I slipped in the warm-up.

"My knee went underneath me and I remember just sitting on the floor with Simon bursting into tears, crying, because it had happened again. You kind of know when you've already done it before. It was blown up, really swollen, and I couldn't straighten it. 

"I had my kit on ready for this game but ended up hobbling back in. I was gutted, full of hell, and had to say to the manager (Chris Hogg) and Carl (Nelson) that it's gone. 

"I rang my parents and my grandparents to tell them. I was gutted and you could tell they were even though they trying to stay as positive as possible for me. Especially after what had previously happened, the timing was the worst again as I wanted to try and go out on loan again."

Bailey's meniscus had torn, ruling him out for a further six months. His hopes of a first competitive appearance in ten months were shattered.

Facing another damaging blow, he refused to back down and readied himself for a familiar hurdle of scans, hospital appointments, rehabilitation work and strenuous hours in the accustomed surroundings of the academy gym but, just like the first occasion, the full, caring support of his family, friends and colleagues remained.

"To be honest, 2020 was the worst year of my life," he admitted. "It probably was for a lot of people but in terms of my career, it knocked it sideways. It's out of your control. I tried to do everything that I could control, such as fitness, looking after my knee and myself. Ultimately, all you can do is your bit. 

"I was lucky because I've got such a good family and friends. My mam and dad, my brother, grandparents and even my aunties and uncles - we're all so close. My friends were really helpful and always messaged me, especially when we couldn't see each other during the pandemic.

"The physios and fitness coaches have all been unbelievable and played a massive part, not just on the physical side but mentally too. There are times where you came in and you'd be just jogging around a pitch thinking you want to be out playing.

"They are saying 'trust the end goal' and keeping you sane almost because you're dying to do more but it isn't necessarily the right thing to do.

"One thing that kept me going was the drive to do better. As I had that taste with the first-team, you kind of get a feeling that you can do something. I wanted to keep going and not let something like that knock me off track because it was completely out of my control."

The days, weeks and months passed as Bailey continued to grow in strength, remaining focused despite seeing his team-mates training outside, maintaining full belief that the 'end goal' was in sight.

It was then in February 2021 that Bailey was back out on the training pitch after a full recovery and all the negative, arduous encounters he had already faced had disappeared.

"I was pestering Frazer Bell (Newcastle's Academy physiotherapist) and Simon every week asking if I could train or play," he said. "They must have been sick of me! They reigned me back in at times as they had a long-term plan for me all along. 

"I remember the first training session and I was buzzing to be back with the lads. It was just step by step for me so I had my first training session, even things like your first passing drill was great.

"It's steps towards recovering and you go back to times where you're lying in the bed not being able to move and then being so happy to be back amongst it all."

In March 2020, Bailey's hopes of returning from the first stage of his long-term injury had been plunged into major doubt following the postponement of the football calendar.

Exactly one year later, he reflected on the conversation in which his hopes of a first competitive game started becoming a reality.

"I saw them two again (Frazer and Simon) and was asking 'when could I play, when could I play?,' and they told me we'll see how I go in training and take it from there. I jokingly asked if I could play the Leeds game and they responded with 'that might come too soon but what about Norwich?'

"As soon as they said that, everything just changed. I felt like I was back to being a footballer again and not just someone who was stuck in the gym all the time. I was trying to get myself in the best possible place so, come Friday against Norwich, I was ready."

Bailey would be selected for the under-23 squad to face the Canaries at the Lotus Training Centre and ventured on the five hour bus journey to East Anglia.

Named on the bench for the Division Two clash, he waited eagerly on the touchline in the hope of a late cameo role, with the game looking to be heading towards a goalless draw.

"I remember warming up for ages because I was itching to get on," he said. "I was warming up, standing up and basically trying to say I was ready without being too forward about it! Hoggy then turned to me and said 'go on son, get yourself on'.

"I had my strip on, standing at the side and then Rammy goes 'you're back son, enjoy it!'. I was thinking 'I cannot wait for this' and when I first came on, I was just buzzing to sprint around and shout random things at people."

It was a proud and fulfilling moment for the resilient 22-year-old as he crossed the white line after overcoming multiple testing barriers. He wasn't finished there, though.

With United awarded a late corner, Bailey advanced into the penalty area as midfielder Jack Young prepared to deliver a corner into a crowded box.

"I remember running up for the corner," he recalls. "It's weird because even before the game, I texted my mam saying 'I'm going to score today'. I would never do that but it was one of those things where I just had a feeling!

"I always back myself to score from corners or at least to get the first contact and attack it. I was trying to get Jack's attention as he was running over to take it and he said to me 'get on this, Bails!' 

"I was originally going to go across the front post but Niall (Brookwell) saved me and said he would instead so I sort of hung out a bit to watch the flight of the ball and went to the back post.

"I should have scored the header as I jumped but lost my leg. Thankfully, it worked anyway as the ball hit the person behind, I saw it bounce and then I managed to volley it into the net."

Bailey's stoppage-time winner secured a 1-0 victory for the young Magpies, with the defender describing the dressing room scenes afterwards as "quality", with the staff - who had supported him throughout - full of praise for him along with his team-mates, who posted tributes on social media.

After completing the 500-mile round-trip to Norwich, Bailey later returned to his home in Benton, a stone's throw away from the Academy, to his elated family whilst receiving joyous telephone calls, a vast contrast to those he made back in August.

"When I got home, my mam and dad were just buzzing," he says. "I had my brother ringing me too and my friends, it was all so surreal!

"My grandad was ringing me too. He was really proud. He's been a big motivation for me because he's Newcastle and football daft - he lives every second of my career with me. I want to get as far as possible not just for myself, but for him too."

It is an inspirational tale of determination and perseverance from the brave youngster, who joined United's Academy at the age of seven, which led to an unforgettable return to playing the game he loves.

He is hopeful that his story can help those experiencing situations similar to the one he encountered and was keen to offer advice to anybody facing similar difficulties.

"Just talk to someone," he revealed. "It sounds stupid but there are times in the past where I wouldn't speak to people about things and be closed. For example, I wouldn't ring the manager, I hated it, and think it was a bit awkward.

"Since I've been injured, I've rang Hoggy (Chris Hogg) and Rammy (Peter Ramage) lots. You'd think it would be daunting ringing the manager but they are there to help you. Both of them had bad knee injuries so they have been first class in helping as much as possible. 

"I would also say to trust yourself. I think it's quite easy to just write yourself off and get into a negative mindset.

"Obviously, there had been points like that but if you actually think back to those good times where you've done good things, you can take those moments from being on the pitch and take them off it to help you."

Newcastle United Under-23s travel to Fulham on Friday afternoon in their upcoming Premier League 2 fixture and Bailey is aiming to build on his positive return to the squad.

"Our position in the table is not good enough for a team of our quality so we have to improve on that," he said. "A clean sheet and win against Norwich last week was the best way to do that.

"We're wanting to finish the season as best as we can and focus on winning as many games as possible, including Fulham." 

Owen would like to express his thanks to those who have helped him through his injury. He thanks his family - mother Debi, father Stephen, brother Ryan and his girlfriend Kayla, grandmother Nancy, grandfather Les and friends.

He would also like to thank the coaching and medical staff at Newcastle United Academy, including Chris Hogg, Peter Ramage, Simon Tweddle, Carl Nelson, Frazer Bell, Stephen Weir, Craig Musham and John Fitzpatrick for their help, care and support.