Injured Tottenham attacker Xavi Simons has spoken of the anguish he felt watching the club's relegation battle last season, but is working "endless hours" to return for Roberto De Zerbi's side.
Xavi sustained anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage during a 1-0 win at Wolves on April 25 which ruled the Netherlands playmaker out of Spurs' final four fixtures along with the World Cup last summer.
However, Xavi, 23, has been ahead of schedule through his rehabilitation and is set to enter phase three of his recovery later in November, which will allow him to resume team training.
Last month, the former Barcelona and Paris St Germain youngster was invited to speak at the Oxford Union and went into detail about his current spell on the sidelines.
Speaking on Oct. 30, Xavi told students: "I had to watch the remainder of the season from my hospital bed and let me tell you it was not easy.
"I felt completely out of control, infuriated because I couldn't contribute and help. I couldn't do a thing. Luckily the boys did their job.
"Mental is just as important as physical. I've had bad moments at night, not even my family know how bad. I've cried, I've wanted so bad to contribute to Spurs, to my national team.
"I read books, I enhanced my knowledge on certain things, I wanted more information, I wanted to stimulate my mind. I wanted calmness in my brain. That was as important as going to the gym every day.
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"It's ultimately finding the balance. You can't underestimate the importance of good psychological health. If your brain isn't working, your body isn't working."
ACL ruptures generally have a recovery time of around nine months, but Xavi is in line to feature in first-team training again after the international break.
That would put him back in contact training only seven months after suffering the injury and raises the possibility of a return to competitive action before the nine-month mark at the end of January.
Quizzed during a question-and-answer session about how he plans to return at his best, Xavi said: "My knee has to feel good. I need to feel strong. Right now, I'm on track, I'm getting stronger every day.
"I'm putting in endless hours. I have a great team that has been with me this entire journey. Everyone has a different schedule.
"Everyone's journey is different. For me, I want to come home and only think, 'I can't move my legs anymore,' because I have pushed myself to the limit daily.
"I want to feel tired. That feeling is when I allow myself to rest. That's how I've approached it throughout."