The Sheffield Wednesday midfielder, Sam Hutchinson, has insisted he did not consider requesting a transfer during his recent spell on the sidelines.
Hutchinson was made to train away from the Wednesday first team between late August and the end of December, at which point Jos Luhukay left his position as manager and the 29-year-old returned to contention.
He has been an almost ever-present since then, keeping his place throughout the temporary reins of Lee Bullen and Steve Agnew, and started Steve Bruce’s first game as manager last Saturday.
But when asked during BBC Radio Sheffield’s Time to Talk special on mental health on Thursday if, at any stage, he thought about asking to leave, Hutchinson replied: “No, I didn’t consider that.
“I did say to a fan though that if I didn’t keep playing I would have to leave, because I’ve missed so much football that I wanted to leave.
“But I also said before that I wanted to end my career at Sheffield Wednesday. So if I’m playing, I’ll be more than happy to do so.”
Hutchinson was a key member of the Sheffield Wednesday sides that reached the Championship play-offs in 2016 and 2017, and established himself as a fan favourite as a result of his committed on-field approach.
His contract at Hillsborough runs until the end of next season.