Mack Hansen has revealed he feared his rugby career could be over during the injury nightmare that kept him out of Ireland’s Six Nations and summer campaign.

The Connacht winger is back in Ireland camp ahead of November’s Nations Championship fixtures against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa, but his return follows a difficult recovery that left him questioning whether he would ever play again.

Hansen has opened up on the foot injury suffered during last year’s British and Irish Lions tour, which eventually required fusion surgery involving six screws and a plate.

“There was a period there where I was a bit worried, to be honest,” Hansen said via The Irish Examiner.

“I’ve been very lucky. I’ve had great people around me. People up here and people down in Connacht that were doing everything they possibly could.

“There was a good period there; it just wasn’t getting better. I felt like I’d take a step forward and two steps back for a while. I’ve had it with most injuries I’ve ever had. One day it just sort of clicks.”

For Hansen, there were days when the concern was no longer simply about when he would return.

“It’s not perfect now, but it’s definitely on the mend. There were pretty sticky days where I was worried that maybe that was going to be it.”

The Ireland international also struggled with the possibility that he could return without being capable of reaching his previous levels.

“On the other side of that, I think you always worry as a player with a big injury like that if you’re going to be able to come back and play like you were.

“That was probably the main thing I was battling with. I’ve had some pretty big injuries that I’ve gotten back from. I thought I could do it. But then again, I didn’t want to come back and just be another guy. I wanted to be able to add to a team like I used to. If I couldn’t do that, I probably wouldn’t be here.”

Having returned to action with Connacht, Hansen now says he is “the strongest I’ve ever been” and, in terms of speed, “not far off.”

However, he still has an adjustment to make after the surgery, with the winger explaining that his foot remains a work in progress.

“I just have to get used to the way I run, the way I move; everything like that takes time.”

After months of uncertainty, Hansen is back in contention to represent Ireland — an opportunity he admits he feared might never come again.

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