Arbroath stalwart Colin Hamilton has opened up on the mental and physical toll taken by seven months on the sidelines.
Hamilton, 31, entered the fray as an early substitute in Friday night’s 6-0 hammering at the hands of Dundee United, replacing Aaron Steele following a nightmare outing for the young right-back.
It was Hamilton’s first appearance since the hamstring tore off his bone during a Championship match against Ayr United in March.
Speaking to Courier Sport in September, he said the injury felt akin to “being shot or hit by a sledgehammer”.
And the rehabilitation — from the initial weeks of being sedentary, to the operation and subsequent juggling of a full-time job with battling back to fitness — has been a testing one for a player experiencing his first ever serious injury.
So, while the result at Tannadice was a chastening one, Hamilton can afford to retain perspective.
“It’s been a long seven months,” Hamilton told Courier Sport. “It has been tough watching from the sidelines.
“I’ve just tried to take as much in from the stand as possible; to learn and put it back onto the park. I’ve still got a long way to go. That was my first 60 minutes in seven months.
“Coming back from injury and trying to get back to the level we saw on Friday night — while holding down a full-time job — is difficult, but that’s what we all sign up for!”
“From the start, you are panicking”
He added: “I’ve never had a long-term injury, so that was a shock to the system. It’s definitely a mental challenge, too. From the start, you are panicking; wondering how you are supposed to deal with something like that.
“I was sitting in the house laughing to myself — because if I didn’t laugh, then I’d cry.
“It affects your home-life as well, because you are sitting on a couch for four weeks doing nothing because you can’t move! So it’s been a long road, but I’m back now and I’m looking forward and I’m looking positive.”
Best left-back in the Championship?
Arbroath boss Dick Campbell is certainly thrilled that Hamilton is back in contention, lauding: “Hammy is the best left-back in this league, in my opinion. He’s proven that over the years and I’m absolutely delighted to get him back in.”
That positivity will be needed as the Lichties seek to bounce back from a comprehensive reverse at Tannadice. Campbell’s side have now shipped 10 goals in two fixtures against the Tangerines.
“We need to put Friday down as an off-night,” continued Hamilton. “We didn’t get to the level we should have and it’s another lesson for us; one we’ve just got to take on the chin.
“I’m sure United will take a few goals off a lot of teams this season.”
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