Brentford defender Harlee Dean hopes to come back fighting fit next season after an injury-ravaged campaign.
The centre-back has been restricted to 33 appearances this term due to a combination of stomach pains and a broken foot.
However, with promotion to the Championship now secured, Dean will go under the knife next Monday in a bid to finally clear up the problem which has hampered him since November.
He said: “It’ been a tough season for me personally. I feel I have fought with myself body-wise and struggled to be the player I was last year.
“I am going to work hard this summer because I haven’t played as many games or as well as I would have liked, so I’m going to come back even better next time.
“I have an op booked in for next Monday. That’s me done for the season but it’s a quick procedure with a short recovery time, so hopefully that sorts me out."
Dean says winning promotion to the Championship has helped erase memories of last season's heartbreak, which saw the Bees miss out on the final day of the campaign and again in the play-offs at Wembley.
The former Southampton youngster was linked with a move away from Griffin Park last summer, but insists finally reaching the second tier justifies his decision to sign a new deal.
He added: “It was always about wanting to play Championship football. In the summer I had some decisions to make, but it’s about being loyal and that’s a big part of who I am.
"Brentford gave me the chance to play football, so to go up with them I couldn’t have asked for anything better."
