Covering a wide range of topics, the 31-year-old could not hide his joy at being fit again to return to action and contribute to the Town’s cause at such a crucial stage of the season.

The former Arsenal, Stevenage, Bristol City, QPR and Sheffield United man explained how it had taken four operations over several seasons to get to the bottom of his groin problem.

Having gone off in the 3-0 win at former club Rangers in late December, Freeman has now appeared as a substitute five times since the win over Blackpool on Easter Monday.

“We all probably thought that the season would be over,” he said of that bitter-sweet night at Loftus Road. “I’ve done well and all the medical staff, the gaffer’s been brilliant with me, to get me back in as quick as I have done.

“It’s been brilliant to be back out there. I honestly thought the season would’ve been over, so to be back and be involved in the last five games going into the play-offs, with another game on Monday and three more games hopefully, it’s just good to catch the last eight games of the season.”

Freeman’s only previous experience of the play-offs came with Stevenage as a teenager, so he is relishing the prospect of being involved in the end-of-season shoot-out for a place in the Premier League, having signed for Sheffield United immediately after the Blades had won that prize four years ago.

“I think we’re in that kind of position where we’re ready for it, we’re emotionally, mentally and physically ready for whatever is going to be chucked at us,” said Freeman.

“We’ve been doing our homework like we do with every game, but we have got one eye on the play-offs, respectfully going into Monday as well, but getting ourselves in the best possible shape to attack the play-offs.”