Dunfermline forward Lewis McCann beamed with pride as he watched big brother Ali write his name in St Johnstone folklore.
A Betfred Cup triumph; Scottish Cup glory; standout showings against European heavyweights Galatasaray — the elder McCann sibling was a bona fide McDiarmid Park hero by the time he departed for Preston.
All the while, Lewis was toiling on the sidelines due to a hernia.
Prior to a late cameo against Queen of the South last weekend, Lewis’ last Pars outing came in April.
However, the persistent pelvic pain had been present since last December.
So, although he feels nothing but admiration and joy for his older sibling, he is honest enough to acknowledge a pang of regret regarding his own progress by comparison.
“Ali has been terrible for me. He just keeps kicking on — rubbing it in my face while I’m sitting there helpless,” laughed McCann ruefully.
“I couldn’t even move and he’s picking up trophies and moving down to Preston.
“I’m incredibly proud of Ali. He is doing amazingly well, is an international player and just keeps getting better.
“It has positives and negatives, because you get people saying ‘oh, you’re Ali McCann’s brother’ and you want to be your own person.
“But, at the same time, I’m so happy for him.”
Helpless
While McCann Jr is candid in expressing his frustration, he is still only 20 years of age and, while yet to find the net at senior level for the Fifers, is a precocious physical prospect and rated by boss Peter Grant.
And he’s hungry to make up for lost time.
“It have been almost there for about three weeks now,” he continued. “Last week, I finally I felt back to normal.
“The last period has been so frustrating because we haven’t won a league game.
“You are sitting there almost feeling helpless thinking: ‘I could be doing something for the boys’.
“But just had to wait my time — hopefully that is coming up.”
‘A downer’
McCann’s fitness travails meant that he was not considered for Northern Ireland under-21 duty during the current international hiatus, albeit he has spoken to new boss John Schofield.
However, the silver lining to that is McCann will be able to enjoy uninterrupted time on the training pitch with the Pars.
And he remains adamant the players are still behind Grant despite their precarious position at the foot of the Championship.
“The confidence is still there,” he continued. “Obviously, the situation is a bit of a downer.
“There have been moments when we have been close — grasping at a win — and it has slipped away, but I’ve not noticed a culture of people not wanting to be there or not wanting to play for the manager.
“That’s down to the coaching staff keeping us positive.
“It’s about how you bounce back.”
