SOUTHAMPTON’S hockey star Alex Danson is looking forward to next month’s Champions Trophy campaign after suffering Commonwealth Games heartache during the summer.

Danson was part of the England side that lost the final to Australia on penalties in Glasgow.

Here, in one of her occasional columns for the Daily Echo, the former Trojans starlet recalls her Commonwealth agony.

“Losing a final is always tough, but losing it on penalty shuffles, having been 11 seconds away from winning the gold in normal time, was devastating.

It sounds dramatic to say we were heartbroken, but we really were.

It’s only now, as you look back with the benefit of hindsight, that you realise what an achievement the silver medal was.

We had about three weeks off since the Commonwealth Games and, while it was nice to have some time off to relax, I couldn’t wait to get back into training.

Glasgow was an incredible experience, it really was a brilliant Games.

The crowds were incredible and the organisation was first class, it’s just gutting that we weren’t able to finish it off in the way that we wanted.

After what happened in the World Cup in June, if you’d told us that we’d make the Games final, and come so close to beating Australia we would have bitten your hand off.

When you come so close it’s tough to get over, but it will be a good lesson for us as a team and it will only serve to make us more determined to make sure that next time we’re in a final we get across the finish line.

After our match we were all pretty downbeat so we waited until the day after to celebrate.

We also celebrated at the closing ceremony which was amazing.

For us as a team it was extra special because Kate (Richardson-Walsh) was chosen to be the flag bearer for the England team.

It was an accolade which was richly deserved as she has been so consistent for so long, and has led the team so well.

We were going crazy as we followed her in with the flag and it was a brilliant moment for her.

There are quite a few Kylie Minogue, pictured left, super fans in the team as well so they were very excited when she performed.

We were about five metres away from the stage so it was a really great atmosphere.

It felt like we were having our very own concert and the closing ceremony was honestly one of the best I’ve ever been too – the crowds throughout the whole Games were incredible.

When you’re not playing in your own country you always worry about how the crowd will react to you but the crowds in Glasgow were brilliant and so friendly.

The three-week break from training was really nice.

We dedicate our lives to the game, training six days a week, so to have some time away to do ‘normal’ things is important.

To go from the Commonwealth Games final to babysitting my two-year-old nephew was quite a reality check!

I also had the chance to go on a lot of day trips which was nice.

I went to the Isle of Wight for two days of cycling and also had a week away in Cornwall, which was lovely – with no mobile phone reception, it was really nice to completely switch off!

While the break was good, we’re now going full steam ahead towards the Champions Trophy in November.”

Investec, the specialist bank and asset manager, support women's hockey from grass roots level through to the national team – investec.co.uk/hockey or on Twitter @Investec.