Peter Pawlett admits he has gone through the wringer while watching Dundee United from the sidelines.
However, the United forward has described his match-winning return to action after eight months out as “really special”.
Pawlett, 31, entered the fray as a 87th minute substitute on Saturday — a cathartic moment, having last featured for the Tangerines in a 0-0 draw against St Johnstone back in February.
After undergoing successful surgery to cure a persistent Achilles complaint, Pawlett is determined to make up for lost time.
“It’s been a long time coming for me,” smiled Pawlett. “It was eight months since my last appearance.
“It’s been a tough time but I’ve been working hard with the physios. I got my reward getting back on the pitch on Saturday, so I’m really pleased.
“It (the achilles issue) is something I needed to get sorted as it had been niggling away at me for years.”
He smiled: “Sitting on the bench on Saturday, I was thinking, ‘it will be tough to get into this team!’
“That’s good — because I want to be in a successful team.”
Special
During his interminable absence, Pawlett watched United go from the highs of European qualifications to the lows of slumping to the foot of the Premiership.
“Sitting on the sidelines was tough — watching all the ups and downs,” continued Pawlett. “So, Saturday was really special. We really needed the win. It’s a great day for me too.
“We need to keep the momentum going and keep the confidence breeding through the team.
“The training has been really good and since I’ve come back in, the standard has been really high. It was just a matter of time before we started picking up points and moving up the league.”
Although he was restricted to a watching brief, the former Aberdeen ace pinpoints the 7-0 defeat against AZ Alkmaar as the start of the “crash” which saw United fall to the bottom of the table.
He reflects on “harsh words” during the malaise.
And Pawlett is adamant the Tangerines will not rest on their laurels after finally securing a maiden Premiership win this term. Instead, all eyes are on Hibs.
“The crash after the Alkmaar game (7-0 defeat) was a learning period for us,” continued Pawlett. “The recent results have been a learning period too. There’s been some harsh words but that’s how football is: you need to dig each other out.
“I’m sure the boys weren’t sitting at home on Saturday night thinking the job’s done. It’s far from done.
“We’re still bottom of the table so the bottom line is that we need to roll our sleeves up. We need to show that determination and grit to get the three points again.
“The Hibs game is massive.”
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