Liam Pitchford says he is pain-free and can’t wait to return to competition at the US Smash which starts next week.

The four-time Olympian had a major hip operation in December and has been gradually stepping up his training on and off the table since he came off crutches earlier this year.

He’s now ready to move from training hall into arena and will return at the US Smash in Los Angeles, which starts next Friday.

Liam has a wildcard into the main draw at what will be his first competition since the Europe Smash in Sweden last August.

Although he is currently showing at No 188 on the world rankings list, that will change as he becomes active again. His ranking was frozen last year (formally known as Ranking Protection). This means he is not penalised in entry or seeding lists and will be positioned in competitions according to his ranking (in the 60s) when he became injured. The system allows injured players not to have to start again from zero or risk elimination in qualifying rounds.

“I’m obviously excited. It’s been a while since I’ve played a tournament, probably a bit longer than I was expecting,” said the former England No 1.

“I feel like I’ve done a lot of work in the past six months and I’m ready to get back on the tour now.

“I know it’s the first tournament back for 10 months or so, and I know it’s not going to be easy. It might take six months before I’m fully match-ready again. I’m not expecting to win matches straight away, it’s about building it up again.

“I get three tournaments at my frozen ranking and I got a wildcard this time, so I’m fortunate to get that opportunity and will see what I can do. I’m in the main draw, so if I do manage to get a win, that’s good for my ranking.”

Liam had been managing the hip problem for years, since being diagnosed when he was about 18. It was after the Covid break that the condition began to take an increasing toll.

“With the increase in tournaments and travelling after WTT came in, it probably took its toll on my hip,” said Liam. “I was sat on planes a lot and straight into tournaments and no able to get into the gym and stay on top of it as much.

“It was getting gradually worse and affecting my mental situation. I could play to a good level sometimes when I could focus on the match and not the pain, but (when it was bad) I didn’t enjoy being on the table. It got to the point where it just wasn’t feasible.”

He says the difference now is “massive” and the physical improvement has also led to him being in a better place mentally.

“I’ve never had so much improvement in my hip, I feel so much freer and can practise without pain,” he said. “I’m pretty much at 100 per cent – about 90-odd per cent – and I’m able to do a lot more movements then I was able to before, on the table and in the gym.

“Things are also a lot better for my mental situation because it’s so much nicer to go and practise without feeling pain every time I bend down.

“Not playing matches for so long, I’m obviously going to be rusty, but I’ve got nothing to lose and am hoping to enjoy being back in big tournaments.

“I’m looking forward to it, and it’s the first time I’ve said that for a long time.”