Hearts defender John Souttar has vowed to come back from injury stronger than ever, and he has targeted the opening of the new Main Stand at Tynecastle in September for his return to competitive action.
The 20-year-old has been sidelined since the start of February with an Achilles injury, and he has had to endure a gruelling rehabilitation process to rebuild the muscles that subsequently wasted away in his left leg, and self-administer injections to his stomach to avoid clotting.
He has thrown himself into that process though, and his hard work nearing fruition.
“[The opening of the Main Stand] would be a realistic one I think,” Souttar said.
“The injury is getting there. It’s a difficult one to rehab, there’s been a lot of stopping and starting. I’m back running now so there’s light at the end of the tunnel. When you’re in a gym every day and you can’t run, you’re on the bike, it’s tough mentally. Now I can see a wee glimmer of hope.
“They key for me is not to push it. Craig [Levein] obviously had bad injuries when he was my age, so he’s always telling me not to push it and take my time to recover well.
“I got the op and then I had to sit with my leg up – I could only move for five minutes every hour. I was putting injections in myself every four hours in my stomach.
“I could see the calf withering away, and it was just bone basically at the end, there was no muscle at all. You could stretch the skin right out. That was tough. But now the muscle is back and it’s probably stronger than it was before.”
Far from seeing his extended period out as wasted time in his career, Souttar has tried to use it as an opportunity for personal growth.
“I think I have grown up as a person,” he said. “I just said: ‘It’s done now. I’ve just got to make the most of the time out.’ There’s no point feeling sorry for yourself. This was a chance for me to get in the gym and make myself stronger - improve other parts of my game that I would be able to if I was fit. I’m more determined if anything to achieve my goals.”
‘John Souttar was speaking at the launch of ‘Football Unites’ to promote a West Highland Way walk and Ben Nevis climb from 21st – 24th June to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust and CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young).
It’s in memory of Phil O’Donnell, and also for Jordan Moore, the former Dundee United player who was diagnosed with skin cancer. Go to facebook page – fb.me/footballunites2017’
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