Ricky Little is fit for Arbroath’s crucial Championship clash at Morton after overcoming the sickness bug that turned his Scottish Cup sour.
Little was forced off just 13 minutes into his side’s 2-0 fourth round loss to Motherwell after feeling sick on the pitch.
The influential defender had been feeling unwell earlier in the week but believed he had made a recovery in time to face Well.
He declared himself fit on Saturday but the bug struck again as soon as he stepped onto the Gayfield turf.
But Little, who has been granted a testimonial after agreeing a contract extension at Arbroath, WILL be fit for the weekend trip to Greenock.
“I’m feeling much better now,” said Little.
“I wasn’t feeling well a few days before the Motherwell game. My family had a bit of a bug too.
“I couldn’t stop being sick on Friday but when I woke up on Saturday I felt fine.
“I was convinced I was better so I drove up to Arbroath and was ready for the game.
“When the warm-up started I felt OK. Then, a few minutes into the game, it all kicked off.
Ricky Little Contract Extension
We are delighted that our defender Ricky Little has signed a new contract extension.
Making his 349th appearance on Saturday and in his 10th season, we are delighted to offer Ricky a testimonial!
Read more online; https://t.co/S96JBmk9tB pic.twitter.com/DV2LKMG6ix
— Arbroath FC (@ArbroathFC) January 23, 2023
“I could feel my legs pulling away from me and I felt hazy. If I could have been sick on the park that would have probably helped!
“But I knew I couldn’t continue and signalled to come off. The last thing I wanted was to stay on and make a mistake.
“I’m fine now though. I trained OK on Monday and I’m ready for Saturday.”
Ricky Little: Arbroath 1880 Crew making noise
Meanwhile, Little has heaped the praise on the newly-formed 1880 Crew for enhancing the Arbroath atmosphere.
The young ultras group have been endorsed by Arbroath commercial director Paul Reid who stated they’d bring ‘colour, energy and noise’ to Gayfield.
The @ArbroathFC Ultras were magnificent today, even if they did make me feel extremely ancient…
👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/Jl5Mp1X8zr— Trevor Ward 🇺🇦 (@willwrite4cake) January 21, 2023
“There are so many youngsters coming through the gates now,” added Little.
“They are the future and I’m glad the club is embracing them. They are making a big difference with their drums and singing.
“The ‘young team’ that was here when I started at Arbroath are now in their 20s and drinking pints at Tutties before games!”
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