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Tony Window is close to making a playing return.

HE is well into his 38th year and has not played a competitive game of rugby for more than seven months but Tony Windo believes he has never been in better shape.

Worcester's much-loved prop is close to a comeback after recovering from the back injury which has prevented him playing this season.

"The back is improving massively," he said. "The operation was a big success and we have been working really hard over the last few weeks.

"It's just a case of building up the intensity of what I'm doing. I'm really itching to try to get back, not necessarily playing because some of the boys are playing quite well. It would be nice to get back in training, to help the guys prepare and be of some help in some way."

Windo has been working hard with strength and conditioning coach Kier Hansen and could be back playing again before the end of the month.

Although he is one of the oldest players in top-flight rugby, the former Gloucester player has no plans to hang his boots up just yet.

"I've never said I was thinking of retiring," he said. "The one thing this injury has given me is my longest spell of not playing or training I have ever had. The rest of my body probably feels as good as it ever has done. At the minute, all my concentration and focus is on trying to get fit and play some rugby again.

"If things do pan out and I did have another year, if I'm going to have 18 months of rugby left, I want to make the most of it. I don't want to spend it all sat watching."

Windo's future may be taken out of his hands. If he does not win a new contract at Sixways he will not be winding down his career at another club. "I could never imagine myself playing for another club other than Worcester," he said.

The veteran tight-head has been badly missed during Warriors' troubled campaign and their poor form has made his absence all the more frustrating.

"I'm not the best watcher and, with the exception of the current injury, I've been quite fortunate with injuries," said Windo. "It is difficult. Things aren't going as well as we would have liked, so it makes it that little bit harder.

"There's not a lack of confidence because we are not a million miles off it but we do need a result fairly soon and that will help the confidence and we will go from strength to strength.

"We have been exceptionally close on a couple of occasions."

Tony Windo VIDEO interview: www.worcesternews.co.uk

3:01pm Friday 17th November 2006

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