PETER Swan is looking forward to making his "third debut" for the Clarets after nine months out of action with a knee injury.

Swan is closing in on a comeback and admits he's been out of the picture for so long that when he finally returns to senior duty it will feel like signing for the club all over again.

"I've never know anything like it for length of time," he admitted.

"It's dragged on so much that when I get back playing again it will be like making my third debut for the club.

"It's been hard work and a lot of sleepless nights thinking 'am I going to get back?'

"But I've kept a positive mind all the way through and I never really thought I wouldn't play again. I just knew it was a matter of time."

Swan, who joined Burnley for a second spell from Bury in August last year, underwent surgery after damaging knee ligaments when falling awkwardly in a game at Wycombe Wanderers in February.

His comeback is ahead of schedule and he hopes to play for the reserves within the next couple of weeks.

He added: "I'm not going to push it because I don't want to make it worse just to say I've got back quicker.

"But at the moment it's gone great.

"Medically they said about two months ago that the knee was fine. It was just a case of building the muscles up because you lose that much muscle around it.

"With the size of my legs it's taking forever, but it's getting there. "I'm looking to play a reserve game early December, so fingers crossed I'll make it for that."

His next target will then be a place in the first-team squad in the New Year.

"I would be delighted if I get back in that time but I'm just happy to be back among the lads, training and getting the banter again," he added.

"It's been great being among the lads again. Because when you've been out as long as I have you feel you've been isolated.

"It will be hard to get back into the team but to get into the squad is my next aim and then to get on the bench and just take things from there.

"But as things are at the moment I'm delighted."

The big defender has worked hard on his recovery with physio Ian Liversedge. And he has also been one of the pioneers for a new training and rehabilitation device devised by Southampton defender John Beresford, which is being launched next week.

And he is hoping to justify the backing of manager Stan Ternent, who has now been Swan's boss at three clubs.

"My contract was up at the end of last season but the gaffer gave me the all-clear to get the operation done and said he would look after me in the rehabilitation," Swan added.

"So I want to pay him back in that way as well, for the faith he put in me. So that's another one of my aims, as well as doing well for the club.

"Because they are doing well at the moment I want to be involved in it."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.