Dundee United star Craig Sibbald has revealed that he played through the pain barrier for TWO YEARS.
Sibbald, 29, is back in contention for the Tangerines following more than four months on the sidelines. The combative midfielder suffered a ruptured groin muscle last October which required an operation.
While Sibbald was on the comeback trail, he picked up a slight tear to his calf – ensuring a gruelling rehabilitation period was extended.
However, the former Livingston and Falkirk ace is keen to accentuate the positives from his longest ever layoff as a professional, insisting that he desperately needed the groin procedure after years of agony after every match and training session.
“I ruptured my right groin, but my left one had been sore as well, so that got tidied up with an operation, too,” explained Sibbald. “Then I tore my calf once I got back to training – so it was a bit brutal!
“As much as the last while has been hard, with being on crutches and stuff, it needed to happen. I’m hoping it’s all a positive now and I’ll be able to really push forward from here.
“I had to get the groins sorted because they’d been hurting me for two years. Every time I passed the ball, it was agony. Even running about was sore. I was in pain after games every week.
“On a Sunday, I was in agony. I was in pain after training every day, so it couldn’t really continue.
“I had surgery on my heel when I was at school which kept me out for a year, but this one was the longest I’ve had as a professional.”
Night and day
Asked the last time he was able to perform truly pain free, Sibbald added: “A long time ago – probably when I was at Livi.
“I had an operation on my right groin when I was there. But you’re meant to get both done at the same time. That didn’t happen at the time, for whatever reason.
“It’s like night and day now. I feel sharp already even though this is my first week back.”
For an all-action, energetic player, a sedentary lifestyle didn’t come naturally. Between the procedures Sibbald underwent, he was on crutches and immobile for six weeks.
“It was a long four months so it’s great to be back, I’ve really enjoyed being involved this week,” he continued. “My missus was great because I was off my feet for four weeks with the first one (operation).
“Then six weeks later I got the next operation and that was another two weeks.
“I couldn’t get up and down the stairs very well and she did all the driving, just so I was able to get out and about.
A good time to return
“I wasn’t able to do much – so I got pretty decent at Call of Duty!”
And now Sibbald is ready to get back in the trenches in the battle to secure top six football.
“It’s a good time to be returning,” added Sibbald. “It’s an important period with so much to play for. We are in a good position in the league – but nothing is done yet and we need to start picking up points again.
“The lads have done brilliantly but we’ve had a wee blip, so it’s time to get back to winning ways. We have seven games to the split and want to stay in the top six.
“The spirits are high so hopefully we can go on the kind of run we did before.”
Sibbald: I feel sharp and ready
United’s reigning player of the year could make his return to the Terrors’ matchday squad against Motherwell this afternoon, adding: “I feel sharp and ready to play if the manager needs me.
“The fitness for playing 90 minutes might not be fully there yet, but the gaffer’s training is always hard – so that sharpness will come soon enough.”
Conversation