Colin Hamilton insists he has been happy to play through the pain barrier with a broken toe to help Arbroath through their injury crisis.
The left-back suffered the fracture in the 2-1 victory over Inverness Caley Thistle back in mid-December.
But with a rash of injuries already decimating the Red Lichties and leaving them short-handed in defence, Hamilton has continued to play.
Nine weeks on, and having started every match since sustaining the injury, the 31-year-old is finally able to play almost trouble free.
He said: “I’ve been playing with a broken toe. I did it in the Inverness game in December but have just had to get on with it.
“I’ve been taking pain killers to get through games on a Saturday but haven’t been able to train properly.
“I’ve been getting by game to game but didn’t have any option. I was the only available defender at the club and I’ll always give my all for Arbroath.
“Thankfully the pain has subsided a bit. But my toe still looks a bit different to the rest of them. It’s one of these things, though, and I’m not the type to complain.
Returning players strengthen Arbroath
“I’ll dust myself down and get on with things, as the most important thing is not me – it’s the club.”
Ironically, Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Dunfermline was the first time Hamilton has been given any respite by being substituted. Even then it was in the 89th minute.
Gayfield boss Jim McIntyre was finally able to fill his bench at East End Park with fit-again personnel following a three-week break in action.
Eight players were back from injury, whilst on-loan Fleetwood Town defender Connor Teale made his debut.
Skipper Tam O’Brien marked his comeback with the crucial second-half leveller that ensured Arbroath did not fall any further behind the Pars at the bottom of the Championship.
And Hamilton reckons that getting so many key figures back can only be good for the Angus outfit in their battle to avoid relegation.
Praising the fans’ backing at East End Park, he added: “We showed a lot of spirit in that game to dig out the draw. And we have to give the fans a lot of credit for the support they gave us.
“They are continuing to back us in numbers and getting right behind the team and it’s that kind of togetherness we need to get out of this.
‘See a different Arbroath’
“We feed off their support and they feed off us. If everyone is together then it will make a big difference to us in our bid to climb the table.
“Getting players back is also a massive boost. We’ve been going game to game with just one sub, so it makes a big difference to have players the manager can call on.
“We have a busy period coming up but we now have a squad to choose from. The manager can make changes, rest people, and impact games.
“I hope that will help people see a different Arbroath and we’ll continue giving 100 per cent to climb up the table.”
