By Sportsmail ReporterLast updated at 6:23 PM on 18th October 2011 James McFadden has admitted he feared his career was over when he suffered a knee injury earlier this year while playing for Birmingham. The Scotland international, who rejoined Everton after being a free agent over the summer, played his first match in 13 months when he managed 45 minutes for the Toffees’ reserves against Sunderland on Tuesday. Scoring form: Everton fans will be hoping McFadden can get on the score sheet for the ToffeesBut the situation looked much bleaker towards the end of last season when he broke down in his rehabilitation from surgery on a cruciate knee ligament injury.Following Birmingham’s relegation from the Premier League they decided not to extend his contract and McFadden was left to consider his future.’I was training in March and then broke down again and when I spoke to the surgeon he said my time might be up. That was hard to take,’ said the 28-year-old.’Birmingham had a two-year option on me but decided not to take it, which was fair enough.’It was hard that I didn’t know when I was going to get back playing.’I think you have to take every day as it comes. It was one of those where the specialist kept saying ‘Come back and see me and we will see where you are every month or so.’Thankfully every time I went back there was improvement and he was happy enough for me to return to training.’It has worked out for the best. I’ll just move on now and try to be fit and ready to play games.’ Knee issue: McFadden thought his career was over after suffering a knee injury last seasonMcFadden’s last match was in September 2010 and he admits being sidelined for so long was tough.’It was really hard mentally trying to come to terms with not even playing in the foreseeable future,’ he added.’I didn’t watch a lot of football last year because of it but I knuckled down and worked hard on my rehabilitation.’Hopefully in the next couple of months I’ll see the benefits of the hard work I have put in the gym in the last 13 months.’It has been a hard year but it is funny when you are the end of that year it doesn’t seem that long.’The Scot returns to the club three years after leaving in a