BLACKBURN Rovers defender Jeff Kenna today admitted he feared his career was over after being struck down by his second Achilles injury in the space of a year.

The Republic of Ireland international is now firmly back on the road to full fitness after emerging from his seven-month injury nightmare.

But the 30-year-old admits to having dark days after undergoing surgery on the same problem twice in just over a season.

"The darkest days for me were just after the operation," said Kenna.

"To have two operations on the one Achilles for different injuries is extreme bad luck.

"And I admit there was a time there when I wondered if I was going to get over it.

"The problem is you just can't replace an Achilles tendon.

"You can do all sorts of things with knees now and everything else but if your Achilles goes that's it, you are struggling big time.

"So I got a little worried at one point but it's gone and I'm over it now."

Kenna's last taste of first team action was in Rovers' 1-0 FA Cup triumph at Anfield back in January.

So far, he has yet to play under Graeme Souness's new regime.

But now he's firmly on the comeback trail after appearing in a couple of reserve games.

And he's hoping to make a big impression on his new manager when his chance arrives.

"All I need now is some games to get me fit.

"Everyone has to impress the new man to be in the team and be part of his plans," said Kenna.

"It's been very frustrating for me.

"He's been here now for five months and not really seen me play.

"But I'm hoping he will come and watch a few reserve games so I can impress him."

Meanwhile, Christian Dailly is also desperate to impress Souness after being dropped for Monday night's clash with Sheffield Wednesday.

The 26-year-old centre back was left on the bench in favour of Marlon Broomes following a poor Rovers' defensive display against Norwich last weekend.

But the Scottish international is planning to prove he is not a big-money flop by playing a starring role in his country's World Cup qualifier in Latvia on Saturday.

"Some people don't like it when one of the more expensive players makes a mistake.

"But it doesn't bother me. To me it is irrelevant," said Dailly.

"Rovers have an expensive squad but that doesn't mean anything.

"What clubs pay for players doesn't mean anything. It's about turning up week in, week out, trying to do your best.

"You can get hold of the most expensive players in the world and throw them together and you don't necessarily have a good team." Dailly is likely to be charged with the task of stopping Latvia's pint-sized goal machine Marian Pahars from denting his country's World Cup qualifying hopes.

And he admits he rates the Southampton strike highly.

"He's somebody that if I were a manager I would buy him. He looks as good a striker as I've seen in the Premiership. He looks a tremendous player."

However, despite the loss of key players through injury, Dailly believes Craig Brown's squad is fully equipped to get a result.

"People say there are no stars but we are a team and it's more important to be a good team rather than a collection of players," said Dailly.

"And I think we have what it takes to get some early points on the board which would set us up nicely."

Rovers midfielder David Dunn is in Howard Wilkinson's England Under 21 squad for tonight's clash with Georgia at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium.

Dunn is one of only eight survivors from England's ill-fated UEFA Under 21 campaign in Slovakia over the summer.