The highs and lows of football is a phrase that seems tailor-made for Raith Rovers star Lewis Vaughan as he prepares for his testimonial match against Hibernian.
The 28-year-old’s four separate anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures – twice on each leg – are well documented.
The enforced lay-offs – and the striker’s incredible battles to play again – are at least partly behind manager Ian Murray’s insistence that ‘if anybody on this planet deserves a testimonial it is Lewis’.
However, there have also been plenty of highs for Vaughan over a career that has already spanned 13 seasons.
Courier Sport has spoken with the fans’ favourite to look back at his career in his own words.
1. Raith Rovers debut
Vaughan said: “I made my first appearance for Raith away to Morton in 2012 when John McGlynn was the manager.
“He gave me my debut on the last day of the season and we won 3-0.
“That was the first time I had played in front of fans, as such, and it was a game that I really enjoyed.
“It made me think, ‘I want to keep doing this, I want to keep playing’. I wanted more and more.
“I was just 16 at the time and I had only been in as a pro since the January that year. Then, that was me making my debut in the May.
“It was an amazing moment and something I had worked towards for my whole life up until that point.
“Before I signed my first professional contract, I had been playing for the club at under-17s and that’s where John McGlynn first saw me and gave me a contract.
“That was amazing. I dreamed of being a professional footballer and when he offered me that contract I wanted to snap his hand off.
“He said he would give me it when I was 16, so as soon as I turned 16 I left school and went full-time in the January.”
2. First senior goal
“John then left to go to Hearts that summer and you do wonder what’s going to happen.
“But, at the same time, Laurie Ellis and Grant Murray got the job and they were obviously players at the time, so we got on pretty well.
“I was still an apprentice at the time, I wasn’t a certified first-team player, but I was just happy to be playing full-time football.
“Just being around the first-team at that point was brilliant, but I was still learning and developing.
“I got my first goal two seasons after that debut in the League Cup against Queen’s Park at home.
“And the feeling of scoring that first senior goal, in front of the fans at Stark’s Park, was amazing.
“That gave me something to aim for, I just wanted to keep scoring more and more goals.
“I got three that season and then the following season I got seven, playing in the Championship against teams like Hibs, Hearts and Rangers.
“I scored the winner in a 2-1 win against Hibs and that was a brilliant moment.
“That’s when I felt like I could do it at that level and prove myself. That’s the season when I bedded myself in and I wanted to go the next season and show I was a first-team player.”
3. Making comebacks
“Unfortunately, at the start of 2015/16, that was when I had my first cruciate injury.
“The first one was probably the hardest, because Ray McKinnon had just come in as manager and I was desperate to prove myself.
“I had played the first two cup games at the start of the season and scored in both games.
“It was my first serious injury, my first injury almost, and I didn’t really know what a ligament was, never mind an ACL!
“I know about them too much now!
“That was the season where I thought I was going to play every game and score 20-odd goals. But things obviously always don’t work out the way you want.
“I had played football all my life and to have it taken away so quickly was strange. That’s what I probably found the hardest.
“I made my comeback at the start of the following season against Cove Rangers and I scored a goal and got man of the match.
“Coming back from all four cruciate injuries and playing my first game back has been a special moment each time.
“But that one was especially, with it being my first one.”
4. Historic Fife derby hat-trick
“Having missed football for so long, it makes you appreciate it and you don’t take it for granted.
“After coming back from that first one, the following season – in 2017-18 – I had a really successful time.
“I scored in 11 games in a row and got 15 goals in those games. I finished with 23 goals.
“There’s a determination when you come back to make the most of the time you have on the pitch.
“I’ll never take another game or training session for granted, because I know how quickly football can change and you don’t know what’s round the corner.
“That was proven by the hat-trick I scored against Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup.
“That was in January 2019 and a week later I did my knee up at Brechin. That’s a prime example how quickly things can change.
“I went from probably the best day of my career to the worst day of my career just a week later.
“It was the first hat-trick in the Fife derby from a Raith player for over 80 years.
“Especially being in the cup, and it was my 150th appearance, I would say that was the highlight of my career.”
5. Best yet to come?
“From a personal point of view, this season has been really, really enjoyable.
“Scoring 15 goals and getting seven assists, and getting player of the month for December, I’ve had a pretty successful season to date.
“It helps when the team is winning most weeks and we’re pushing for a league.
“It’s been really enjoyable, probably one of the most enjoyable I’ve had at Raith.
“I got another hat-trick, at home to Ayr, which was another good night.
“I’m just looking forward to seeing how strongly we can finish the season and seeing where it takes us.
“It would be amazing if we could get the club into the Premiership. That would be the icing on the cake.
“I think we’re all pushing in the right direction, so why not this season? Whether it’s by winning the league or by going up through the play-offs, let’s see what happens.
“I’ve got a great bond with the club and the supporters, thanks to the goals and the performances and coming through the hard times as well.
“Hopefully there’s some good times to come in the future.”
