The Cork native missed the majority of the Premier League campaign with an Achilles injury back in October. The injury meant that Egan was unable to help his club, Sheffield United, avoid relegation to the Championship.
The mental side of a serious injury is often overlooked in sport, but Egan, who is now over the worst of the physical aspect, claims that his injury experiences from the past have allowed him to see clarity on the sidelines.
"It was very hard. The worst thing about professional sports is getting an injury, especially a long-term one. It was hard to accept at the start, but once you have the road to rehab and the road to recovery laid out in front of you, you just have to trust the process, give your body time to heal, and do all the work that’s asked of you," said Egan
"I think that’s a lot of what people don’t see. When you’re out for a long time, mentally, you have to be strong. I could draw on experience from when I was 20 and I broke my leg, so I’ve been down this road before...
"It kind of helped me in my recovery. Mentally, there are a lot of things you have to do, but the biggest one is to be patient, trust in the process, and give your body enough time to tick every box along the way.
John Egan of Sheffield United receives medical treatment (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images)"I’ve been injured for a good few months now and have been in the physio room, so I’ve seen a load of different injuries and lads coming in and out. The last eight or nine years before that, I probably wouldn’t have paid attention to the mental battles people are going through with injury."
Egan (31) has been at Sheffield United for six years, but this summer his contract is set to expire at the end of the month. Reports have linked Egan to other clubs, but his focus for now is getting fit for pre-season.
"Where I stand, I suppose, is making sure I’m fully fit for pre-season," he added.
'Talks are going on in the background; they are above my head. For the last few months, I’ve just been gearing myself towards getting fully fit for pre-season.
"I’m in a great place now, and I’m doing a lot of work with Sheffield, the staff, and doing a lot of good training. That’s been at the forefront of my mind—getting back fully fit.
"Most of these things are out of my hands. As a player, all I can do is focus on getting my body up to speed. Talks will be going on in the background, and when the time comes, when there is an offer or a decision to be made, everything gets weighed up.
"My main goal now is to keep going with my training and keep working really hard and when the time comes where a decision has to be made, a decision will be made.'"
