Chris Hamilton has confessed Dunfermline were right not to ‘risk’ his fitness and health during a worrying end to a difficult season.
The Pars vice-captain gave manager James McPake and his staff cause for concern after picking up concussion in the 3-2 victory over Arbroath in March.
McPake spoke of Hamilton experiencing problems with noise and hustle and bustle during his attempts to make a comeback from the head injury.
It delayed his return as the Fifers made sure they trod carefully with the 22-year-old.
However, he was back to full fitness by the end of a campaign that also saw him suffer a fractured cheekbone in the earlier trip to old club Arbroath two days before Christmas.
“The few injuries that I picked up towards the end were ones that I couldn’t really risk,” admits Hamilton, who was Dunfermline’s most decorated player at their annual awards ceremony recently.
“The manager was big on that. I wanted to try and push myself but he wanted the doctor to make sure that I was 100 per cent before coming back.
“It was a wee bit frustrating but I appreciate that they have got my best interests at heart in looking after me.
“The doctor and the physio here are really good. Hopefully next year, they will have less work to do in terms of injuries that we get.
Hamilton: ‘Feeling better’
“It was frustrating at the time but I’m feeling better now.”
Hamilton was just one of the Dunfermline players who suffered serious injuries in a troubled season.
The likes of Kyle Benedictus, Rhys Breen, Aaron Comrie, Sam Fisher, Alex Jakubiak, Deniz Mehmet, Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Matty Todd and Craig Wighton all spent significant time on the sidelines.
Despite a rollercoaster of fortunes, Hamilton believes being thrust into the limelight as stand-in captain and defender will be of benefit to him in the future.
“On a personal note I think that I have learned a lot this season,” he added to the Dunfermline website. “I have been put in situations that I’ve never been in before.
“Being a captain of a team that is struggling and trying to work that out, trying to help the boys off the pitch and on the pitch in a team that is lacking confidence and lacking players; we had a lot of young players, a lot of injuries.
“Things like that have helped me, personally, to grow as a player.
“Through that time when we were struggling, it definitely was tough. I took a lot of the responsibility on myself being the captain of a young team.
“Hopefully it has made me a better player, a better captain and a better person.
“With the bad times, you have to learn as much as you can – then hopefully use it and make it better.”
