Tottenham Hotspur defender Danny Rose has revealed that he has started seeing a psychologist following "one of the most difficult periods" of his life.

The 27-year-old missed the second half of last season and the opening weeks of this one due to a knee ligament injury, totalling more than nine months on the sidelines.

Rose made a welcome return to the field against Real Madrid last month and is slowly building up his fitness with England and Spurs, but the former Leeds United full-back admits that it has been far from plain sailing on his way back.

"I have started seeing a psychologist to try to help me think positively," the London Evening Standard quotes him as saying. "I have started reading books, too. This injury has been one of the most difficult periods of my life. Last season I was doing well. I felt untouchable, I felt like I was one of the best, I felt that, if I carried on with that form, anything could have happened. Then the injury happened.

"It humbled me, it brought me back down to earth, it handed me a reality check. It just made me realise that football can be taken away from you at any given point. It happened in a freak accident and it was very hard to deal with, especially at the time when I thought I'd only be out for a couple of weeks but the weeks turned to months. I have spent a lot of time thinking about things.

"It's hard not to when you have been out for so long and you see your team flying and your country doing well to qualify for the World Cup. I have been having some help to channel my thoughts in a better way and hopefully that can help push me on.

"I have been impressed, jealous and angry watching Tottenham's games. I came to St George's, worked and then I went back to Tottenham and started training again. Once I was doing that, I fell in love with football again."

Rose, named in England's squad for the friendlies against Germany and Brazil, has featured three times in all competitions for Spurs this term.