Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray believes a lot of players would have given up on football if they’d been through what Lewis Vaughan had.
The 26-year-old forward returned to the side last weekend after more than a year out after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.
Recovering from such a injury once is gruelling enough, but Vaughan has had to go through it FOUR times after suffering the injury twice in each knee.
Vaughan mental strength praised
His last start before suffering the injury in training was, ironically, against this weekend’s visitors Hamilton on the first day of last season.
He also bagged a brace in that game.
Since then, he’s had to work his way back to fitness once more and, once fully fit, boss Murray believes Vaughan will add an extra dimension to his side.
And he’s liking what he’s seen in training.
“I didn’t know Lewis until I came here and I hadn’t seen much of him with his injuries,” Murray said.
“His mental strength must be through the roof. To have taken that many knocks – and not little ones.
“I don’t know a player who has had as many as that and was willing to do it all again.
“He doesn’t look like a player that has had his head down. He’s been determined from day one.
“He had a setback in August where he had to get his knee checked, although it was something different.
“Even that was another knock and a lot of guys would have maybe thought ‘this isn’t for me anymore’.
“He’s so hell-bent on being a part of our team, he’s so hungry.
“He gives us a different dynamic up front because he’s smaller, sharper and makes brilliant movement.
“He thinks about how he finishes – some of the goals he has scored in training have been really good.”
Vaughan ‘will score goals’
Vaughan returned to competitive action last week, making a five-minute cameo with his side 3-0 ahead against Partick.
Whether he is given a start against Accies on Saturday remains to be seen, however, it’s likely the fans’ favourite will be get some more game time under his belt.
Murray thinks Vaughan will get another raucous welcome to the park like he did last weekend. But he believes the roof will be blown off Starks Park when the striker bags his first goal.
“Saturday was great to get Lewis back on the park,” he said. “You could see the reaction from the fans and players – and fair play to the Partick bench as well, they wished him all the best.
“He’s a likeable guy and we want him to do well.
“Regardless of the score on Saturday, we had a positive to take from the game. It just so happened it was the perfect scenario to get Lewis on at 3-0 up.
“The icing on the cake would have been for Lewis to score but he will score goals.
“We are all dying for it and it will be a great moment when he does, regardless of what the score is.
“That will be his real return, hopefully that could be on Saturday.”
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