OMAR Daley has a lot to be grateful for.

With career-threatening injuries suffered to his right knee last year, the pacy midfielder is on the road to recovery after two surgeries. And he’s thanking God “just to be back playing football”.

“First and foremost, I have to give the Almighty thanks for everything he has done for me, even if I wasn’t a believer… after my injury, I certainly am now and… I’ve become a better person…,” said the Bradford City player, who is in the island for the Reggae Boyz’s friendly international games against Costa Rica here on Sunday and Peru in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday.

Daley, who last represented Jamaica in a friendly against Nigeria in London in February last year, said his successful surgery and path to recovery were nothing short of a miracle.

“I’ve been reading my Bible every day and staying strong. I have been out of action for 10 months and I am just happy that I am able to play football again,” said the 29-year-old former Portmore man.

“The damage was to my right knee and I did my lateral and (ACL) anterior cruciate ligament surgeries at once, so it was a big injury and I am just giving God thanks all the time,” Daley told the Observer.

Daley, who has had loan spells at Reading, Preston North End and Charleston Battery in the US MLS, said while he’s playing, he is still not back to his best.

“I returned last season and I am still trying to find back my feet, I am still not at my sharpest yet, but I looking forward to the days ahead and I am just trying my best as I am still doing my rehab…. but I will keep praying as I fight my way back to full recovery,” he explained.

Since his return from injury, Daley has played 25 games and has scored one goal.

“I am feeling good and up to it, but just being on the pitch and plying football again makes me happy… since my injury I have scored only one goal and you know I only score spectacular goals,” he boasts.

Daley, a member of Jamaica’s team to the 2001 Youth Under-20 World Cup in Argentina, said while he is delighted to be back in the Jamaica set-up after 19 months, he expressed disappointment at being ignored by the technical staff for the crucial stages of the South Africa 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

“I’m still bitter about it, especially the way in which it was handled, I think I didn’t get a fair chance to prove to the world what I can do. They did use me in the preliminary phase, but when it came to the real thing I was left, so I am still upset but I am happy that I am involved now,” said the former Glenmuir High student.

The focus now, he claims, is on cementing a place in coach Theodore Whitmore’s team as preparation mounts for the upcoming Digicel Caribbean Cup, and then the CONCACAF Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers.

“I said to the coach that he should start looking to me more for more opportunities in this team as an elder player because I now feel I am veteran in the Reggae Boyz set-up. I don’t want people to see Omar Daley as just being a squad member, I want to be seen as an important member of this team. And for the next campaign, if I am fit and healthy, I would like to be a part of it,” Daley stated.

The Clarendon native, who favours playing as a flanking midfielder and even as a winger, says he hopes to impress the coach when he starts training with the team today as he would like a place in the starting team against an old foe in Costa Rica.

“When you play against these teams you can expect that they will think the game through a lot, they are quick and very clever players , we respect them for that, but when the whistle is blown on Sunday, there will be no respect,” Daley ended.

Daley has played 56 games for Jamaica and has scored five goals since making his debut at the senior level in 2000.