Richard Thankful

Richard Garcia says he is grateful to West Ham for getting him back to fitness following a second cruciate problem while at West Ham - but admits he will be moving on shortly.

Richard is currently doing rehab work at Chadwell Heath and says:

"I have got back into running now, and I am trying to get back into football - it won't be too long that I am playing again."

Neither serious injury was inflicted while wearing a West Ham shirt - the first was while on loan at Leyton Orient, sustained in a challenge with another West Ham loanee, Grant McCann, while he was playing for Cheltenham, while the second was on duty with the Socceroos - and he says phlegmatically:

"It was one of those things that you couldn't see coming or anything like that; I had no problems after the first one and having a second was just bad luck, really.

"But I have not felt down; I pretty much knew what was coming after I did the second as I had been through it before.

"The timing of it gets you down a bit, I suppose, because I will miss the Olympics - but that is just part of life and part of football."

As for his future, he adds:

"I am looking to move on and get some regular football; I have been at West Ham too long without a run of games.

"I have been in and out without two games in a row so I have to try and get some football under my belt - and my face on the scene."

In the meantime, Richard is enjoying the benefit of Chadwell Heath's recuperative facilities and he says:

"It is a hard one for the club but it is good that they have kept me on to get fit, and hopefully I can go and do something else.

"I would have been in limbo but in a couple of months I will be on my way; I am looking at a few options but I definitely want to stay in England."