MANILA, Philippines—Kevin Ferrer shrugged off jitters and any signs of rust in his return for Terrafirma in the PBA Governors’ Cup.

Ferrer, who was sidelined for more than a year due to an Achilles injury, finally returned to action for the Dyip at Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.

While the University of Santo Tomas product didn’t get a victory in his comeback, Ferrer is just thrilled to be back on the hardwood after a long absence.

SCHEDULE: 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup elimination round

“I felt like a rookie but I’m super happy to be back here in the league. It took me one year to recover,” said Ferrer in Filipino after their 127-95 loss to Converge.

“I couldn’t lose my confidence. My confidence had to be there, the weakness I had was in the mental department but a lot of people were helping me so I’m thankful for them.”

Ferrer’s conditioning was put to the test right away with 23 minutes of action and he responded with 18 points and four rebounds.

READ: PBA: Kevin Ferrer sidelined for 6-8 months after Achilles surgery

The 31-year-old Ferrer got hurt in June last year in Terrafirma’s preseason win over TNT and went under the knife a day after sustaining the injury.

“I’m okay. As of now, it’s feeling okay but it still needs to be worked on.”

Ferrer and the Dyip look to bounce back from their opening loss on Friday against his former team NorthPort.