Liam Bellamy says London surgeon Soloman Abrahams helped him recover from a serious knee injury without the need for surgery.

The Dover midfielder returned to action as a late substitute in the 2-1 F.A Trophy win over Southport at Crabble on Saturday, his first action since last September, having been sidelined for almost four months with a torn cartilage.

Bellamy paid for the treatment himself and said: “It wasn’t cheap, but he is somebody I knew through a family friend, and is one of the top knee surgeons in the country. He gave me the option of having it done without going under the knife.

“It involved acupuncture, deep tissue massage, ultrasound and even shock wave treatment, which vibrations that help bleed the muscles.”

“I just wanted to get back and not waste my season, but have had a few setbacks, trying to come back too early and pushing myself too hard too quickly.”

Bellamy hadn’t missed a game until he was injured in the televised 2-0 home against Woking.

He recalled: “I knew I had done something bad, but what killed me was, I had an MRI scan and the results came back showing nothing was wrong.

“ I tried to push myself through it but I knew something wasn’t right, and it was another fortnight before I found out the extent of the injury.

“ I think the results were misread by someone, so I got a diffrent radiographer look at it and they gave me the bad news.”

Bellamy added; “It’s been massively frustrating to be out, and it’s been a long while.

“I tried to stay positive and be there supporting the boys.

“It was very good to get on, and be back in the fold, and I just want to get my place back.”