BERT Trautmann, Calum Davenport...

The list of footballers who have had to recover from a broken neck is a blessedly short one.

And just like Manchester City’s 1956 FA Cup final goalkeeping hero, the West Ham United defender is determined to make a successful return from his life-threatening injury.

Davenport’s loan spell at Watford, his career – and life – was put on hold after a freak collision with team-mate Darius Henderson on January 19 left him laying in a hospital bed.

Seven months on and the gentle giant of a central defender was finally back in action as West Ham overcame Conference South challengers Hampton and Richmond Borough.

Thankfully, Davenport came through the match unscathed, winning a series of towering headers to prove he is finally over his injury nightmare.

And the former Coventry City trainee, who joined the Hammers from Tottenham Hotspur for £3million in January 2007, was also in Alan Curbishley’s starting line-up as the Irons beat Columbus Crew in the first match of their North American tour.

But while his team-mates fine-tune their fitness ahead of the new Premier League season, the 25-year-old is just happy to be playing again.

“I was not worried. I’ve been training for a while while the lads have been off so I’ve been building up my confidence, but until you get into a game, you never really know, but I felt good,” said the amiable defender.

“When you break your neck it’s not the bone that’s the problem. It’s the swelling around the nerve endings – it was my C7 verterbrae – that’s the problem.

“The healing is all sorted now, so I’m good to go.

“Obviously it was a bit touch and go but the scans have all come back and I’ve got no problems so I’m delighted with that.”

Breaking your neck is an event would make most people re-consider their aims in life.

And while he is understandably happy to be playing again, Davenport did not make a single minute for West Ham last season and realises that his long-term future may lie away from the Boleyn Ground.

“I’m just taking it game by game and getting stronger and will see what happens,” he conceded.

“I would love to stay and play here because West Ham is a massive club.

“Alan Curbishley basically said I’ve got to do what's right for me and get back fit and strong.

“If there was a good time to get injured, it was was probably when I did because I’m back with the lads and we’re all at the same stage.

“If I can do well and impress, hopefully I can be in the manager’s plans.

“It feels like being on trial again.

“There’s been talk of the club needing to let a few players go, but I don’t think anybody is going to look at me until I’ve played a few games.”