Scott Wharton is excited to be back on the grass as the defender steps up his recovery from a long-term knee injury.

Wharton has been out of action since suffering the injury against Sheffield Wednesday at the back end of last season.

It has been a long process for the centre-back, who initially had surgery and has since been building up his work in the gym.

But Wharton’s hard work has paid off with a return to training on grass after a frustrating time having to watch from the sidelines.

The 27-year-old will now continue to build up his training with the aim of being back fully for pre-season.

“It’s a massive tick for me,” he told the club channels. “It has been tough and I have said before, (it’s been) a bit longer than I thought.

“I thought I would be on the grass a bit sooner but we have taken a bit more time in the gym to make sure I am right in the legs and my knee.

“It is good to be on the grass finally and I should be a lot more from now to the end of the season. I will be fully fit for pre-season, that is the plan and I am feeling good.

“I have been doing running drills for weeks now and preparing for things like this. You come out here and the first session is so much harder. I think the different surface, tempo, intensity, it was really good.”

Wharton trained with Liverpool loanee Owen Beck, who has missed the past few matches with a hamstring issue.

“I feel like I got into it, there was one drill where I was a bit rusty but soon got my feet going. It felt like I have still got it, I don’t know if I ever did have it,” the Academy graduate joked. “It was good with Becky as well, a good session.”

Physio Rob Artingstall also shared an insight into Wharton’s recovery over the past 10 months and why he has been “brilliant to work with”.

“Really good, very diligent and professional,” Artingstall insisted. “At the start he had a little period where he went to watch his brother play a bit, so it was a little bit up and down. But that was needed psychologically.

“He has been brilliant to work with, a really good laugh, works hard and really got into his numbers.

“All the data we are throwing at him, he has taken all that on board and enjoyed trying to beat his scores all the time. He has been a pleasure to work with.”