By FRANCO PANIZO

Stuart Holden's road to recovery is officially complete.

Having been sidelined since March with a devastating knee injury, Holden played in his first official match of the season for Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday. The U.S. men's national team midfielder started and went the distance in Bolton's 2-0 triumph over Aston Villa in the third round of the Carling Cup, a promising return for a player looking to get back to the form that had many considering him one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.