Ryan Strain joined Dundee United four months ago. However, his message is clear: “Everything starts for me this weekend.”
The Australia international endured an agonising beginning to his United career when he slumped to the Tannadice turf in a Premier Sports Cup tie against Stenhousemuir in July.
It was just his second appearance for the Terrors.
Strain felt a shuddering pain as he attempted a back-heel; one so potent that he assumed a Stenny player had taken a swipe at the back of his leg.
If only.
Instead, it was a 15-centimetre tear to his hamstring. He left the field on a stretcher to warm applause from anxious Arabs. They have not seen the marquee summer signing kick a ball since, with surgery required to repair the damage.
But Strain has been in training for a couple of weeks and will take his place on the bench against Aberdeen. It will be a cathartic evening, regardless of result.
Strain: It was horrible
“I did a back-heel in the cup game and turned around because I thought someone booted me in the back of the leg,” said Strain. “But it had torn. It was a horrible one – a 15-centimetre tear in the tendon.
“I’ve done a million back-heels in my career. This time, maybe it was ready to go.
“But I feel like it’s stronger now. I’ve done a lot of work on it, so I just can’t wait to be back.
“You’ve just got to be mentally strong, and always think about coming back; trying to get stronger so it doesn’t happen again.”
He added: “When you join a new club you want to get off to a flying start, but for me it’s been different. Everything starts for me this weekend.”
A tough year
Strain’s set-back was especially maddening for the player as he sought to rebuild from an injury hit 2023/24 campaign.
He was forced to undergo surgery after sustaining a groin injury last December and missed four months of action, ruling him out of the 2024 Asian Cup with Australia.
“I had the groin injury last season – but before that, I was injury free,” continued Strain. “So, it’s all come in a tough year, really.
“Hopefully, that’s the end of it!
“This rehab has actually been easier than the last one. I thought it was going to be harder because I was coming back from another injury. But it wasn’t as bad. When I did my groin, you can’t do anything for six weeks.
“But with this one, I was in the gym after three weeks.
“And with my groin, I could feel it when I was coming back. But this time, I can’t feel anything. That’s really positive.”
And the flying wing-back’s absence from the side has evidently done nothing to stop him from gelling with his new teammates, with Strain smiling: “All the lads are brilliant here. There are no d***heads, basically!
“It’s been easy to settle in.”
Strain: I’m feeling sharp
Assessing his chance of featuring against the high-flying Dons, Strain added: “I feel ready. I haven’t played a game in three months, but I feel sharp in training.
“Everyone knows training is completely different to a game. So, it might take a few matches to get the legs back used to playing.
“I don’t think I’ll be playing 90 minutes this weekend but hopefully I’ll come off the bench a few times and then try to get myself back in the starting 11.”
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