Rowan Liburd has backed himself to hit the ground running at Billericay Town after a successful loan spell away from the club.

The 22-year-old striker has yet to feature prominently for Town, after he joined the club with a broken hand in July.

Although he has made a handful of appearances wearing a protective cast, having broken his hand in pre-season.

But he was unable to make an impression on the team and was sent on loan to Thamesmead Town, in the Ryman One North.

And a fully-fit Liburd made an instant impression, scoring five goals in six appearances and he said the loan move did him the world of good.

“I had a feeling I would be sent out on loan,” said the 6ft 4ins striker. “I desperately needed some game time under my belt and I didn’t have any bad feelings about the move at all.

“To be honest I thought it would be beneficial for me and that was how it proved.”

And Liburd is hoping to mark on his return to Billericay with his first goal against Harrow Borough tomorrow, although he did net in a 4-3 friendly win at Burnham Ramblers this week.

“I always back myself to score,” he said.

“I have always scored goals but I want to take each game as it comes and make sure I hit the target when I get the opportunity.”

Liburd made a name for himself while playing in America, on a scholarship at Thomas University, in Georgia. He won a host of admirers and awards, including the Sun Conference Player of the Year, which covers Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

He said sustaining the injury was a big blow for him, as it cut short his spell at Southend.

“I expect to get injured as a footballer but not an injury that serious,” he said.

“I fell awkwardly. I went to hospital and they told me it was fractured and that was incredibly frustrating.

“I had joined the club with the injury so I haven’t been able to show what I can do yet.

“I need to gel with the team as well as the strikers so if we can pick up wins and if I can contribute to that then it would be ideal.”

l Callum Dunne, George Beavan, Cyrus Mahler and Nathan Ferguson are out of tomorrow’s match at Harrow.

Ryan Scott and Glenn O’Hanlon are rated 50/50 for the trip.