"I'm raring to go" - Town defender Arthur on his injury, missing out on Wembley and waiting for his chance

The Halifax centre-back, who joined National League North side Southport on a month’s loan this week, had started his third game in a row and was two-thirds the way through Town's last game before the FA Trophy final.

But 68 minutes into the home game with Eastleigh, disaster struck.

"I'm not going to lie, I didn't know what an Achilles was before I did it!," Arthur says.

"I've gone to win a header and once I landed I felt a pop.

"I was just thinking 'what's this?', I've tried to get up and carry on but it wasn't letting me, I had no strength in my leg.

"I looked around because it felt like someone had blasted me or done something from behind, but no-one was around.

"Az (Aaron Scholes, Town's physio) ran on and said I'd done my Achilles, and because it was Wembley soon I was like 'how long's that going to take?' wanting to know if I'd be available and he was like 'six to eight months'.

"At first I didn't think it was serious.

"I couldn't explain how I felt."

Understandably, there were mixed emotions for the defender as he watched his team-mates beat Gateshead in the Trophy final.

"I had my operation two weeks before Wembley and if I'd had it the day after I couldn't have made it because I'd still have been bed-bound," he says.

"It was good, seeing them win it and celebrating with them, but it was bittersweet."

Since then, it's been a step-by-step recovery process - literally at times - which has called for patience and perseverance in equal measure.

"I wouldn't say it's gone quick but it's been OK," Arthur says.

"The gaffer and the lads have been brilliant with me.

"Coming in and doing the same rehab, sometimes you get bored or might not come in in a great mood, just doing the same things.

"I'm human and sometimes it is difficult to keep yourself going every single day, especially when you know you've got another five months left.

"It's rare I felt like that but when I did, I'd change it up a bit and do something different.

"Az the physio has been great, he understands the other side of it, the mental state of an injury as well as coming in every day and doing the rehab.

"I get through injuries quite well because I don't dwell on things.

"If you dwell on a bad injury, you're just going to make it worse and just think about it, think about it.

"It happened, I couldn't do anything to change it so I just had to crack on and get back fit.

"You've got to tick each box. For example, I was in the boot and you look forward to just walking without a boot, then you look forward to putting your full weight on both your feet because you're not really walking properly when you come out of your boot.

"It's little steps you take that you'd otherwise take for granted, like walking then jogging then jumping.

"It's one step a time, but if you put the graft in you'll get there."

Town boss Chris Millington was Arthur's youth team coach at Oldham Athletic.

"Me and the gaffer have got a good relationship, he's known me since I was a young kid," Arthur says.

"He knows my parents. Even in the off season the gaffer was coming to my house, talking to my dad.

"He's been great with me, especially taking the time to come and see me in the off season, stuff like that."

Arthur says he has fully recovered from what was the worst he's had in his career.

"I'm back fully fit now, I just need to get the match fitness," he says.

"I've got my base fitness, I feel good, I feel fit, just need to get minutes and the match fitness will come with minutes."

And the centre-back is itching to pick up where he left off all those months ago.

"There'll be no fear. I train how I play so the big tackles, the headers, jumping high, I do all that in training," he says.

"I'll have full confidence once I start getting games.

"I'm raring to go, honestly. I just can't wait to put that shirt back on when I get the chance, but obviously the lads are doing well at the minute, so I've got to be patient and see when I get the chance."

Arthur might need to dip into those reserves of patience and perseverance again to wait for his opportunity.

"We're doing very well as a team, out togetherness is very good, we've got a good chemistry," he says.

"There's a lot of young players and then there's a couple of the older ones who just keep everyone level-headed.

"After a win, they'll just say we need to stay calm, there's another game round the corner.

"Everyone gets on with each other, we're doing really well, everyone's competing for positions.

"For me, we've got the best defensive record in the league so I'm kind of waiting, but I wouldn't want to come in and take that best defensive record away.

"It's credit to them, they've got to just keep it going, and with competition, you've got to keep it going otherwise someone takes your spot."

When asked how he rated Town's promotion chances, Arthur says: "We believe in our own ability, we've got players who can create things and get us goals, our defence stop goals from going in.

"We've got a very good chance, we've got the players to do so, we've got the chemistry to do so, we've got the belief to do so."

A Wembley play-off final with Arthur in the Halifax defence? Now that would be worth waiting for.

"Honestly, it'd be amazing!," he says

"But we've just got to take it each game as it comes otherwise we'll get carried away."