RICHARD Palframan feels “really lucky” to have another shot in the Gallagher Premiership after a wretched run of injuries threatened to end his top-flight career.

The tighthead prop will return to the highest tier in English rugby next season after moving from Championship side London Scottish to Worcester Warriors.

It has been a long wait for Palframan who began to establish himself in the London Irish team at the end of the 2014-15 season before being struck by injury.

He missed almost the entire 2015-16 campaign after tearing his hamstring before coming back and then suffering anterior crucial ligament damage midway through the following season.

The serious knee injury required surgery in January 2017 and Palframan said it took 18 months until he fully recovered.

But the 25-year-old admitted there was still a nagging doubt over whether he would be able to get back to his best when he signed for Scottish last summer.

“I was let go by Irish after a really long-term injury and then got given the opportunity to join Scottish,” Palframan said.

“That was my chance to play and get loads of game-time as it had been on and off before that.

“You sometimes think about the worst-case scenario. What if I don’t play as well as I want to play?

“What happens if something happens again?

“Maybe at the beginning (of my time at Scottish) I thought my shot (in the Premiership) had gone.

“Going into the Championship it happens less now (where players return to the Premiership) due to the good academy set-ups.

“Guys just stay in the system so you think it is going to be difficult to get back.

“I feel really lucky to get another opportunity.”

Palframan, who grew up in South Africa, said his move to Scottish had helped to rebuild his confidence as he featured 22 times in the 2018-19 campaign.

“Just to get back playing was awesome and it was a great group to be involved with as well,” said the England-qualified front row.

“I needed to get back playing week in week out and get used to doing that.

“Prior to coming to Scottish I hadn’t really played that regularly so to do that tested the body and I was able to make sure the knee was all good. I was probably out for 18 months all together. When you are out for that long medically you are fine but a lot of it is in your head.

“That’s why this season was so important for me just from the point of view of getting the confidence back.”

Despite his injury woe at Irish, Palframan insisted he enjoyed his time at the Reading-based club.

“I had such a good time there,” Palframan said.

“The injuries were no real dampener on the experience.

“It was unfortunate but that’s just rugby.

“There was one season when I was on loan at Rosslyn Park but then came back and ended up starting the last four Premiership games.

“That was quite a cool season, especially playing against Bath on a Friday night at The Rec.

“You want to play at the highest level and test yourself against the best.

“I have had a little taste of that but you always want more.”