Steven McDougall has revealed how doctors broke the news he had a tumour in his right foot following a scan during the close season.
Fortunately for the Dunfermline striker it proved to be a non-malignant growth and the discovery has helped him overcome a long-term problem.
McDougall has been struggling for years with a weak toe on his right foot, which he has broken over and over again.
The 25-year-old broke the same bone three times in under six months last season the last time just two weeks before the summer break.
He began running on it again, but soon realised all was not well. An MRI scan revealed the growth, which a surgeon subsequently cut out during a routine operation on June 8.
Now McDougall is back in training and could even feature in the pre-season friendly against Hibs at East End Park on Saturday.
“I broke my toe the second last week of the season,” he told Courier Sport. “By the time that had healed I’d done a couple of weeks’ running, then I found out I needed an operation.
“I went for an MRI scan and they found a non-malignant tumour on it, so I had to get that cut out. I got the operation on June 8.”
The doctor confirmed the tumour was at the root of the problem and that he should be fine from here on in.
“The docs have said the chances of it happening again are really, really slim, so I’m quite happy with that,” he said.
“It’s just one of those things. I’ve broken the exact same bone in the same toe a few times.
“I was wondering why it kept breaking, so I went and got the scan and they discovered a tumour was touching the bone. It was weakening the bone and because of that every time I took a dunt, it was just breaking.”
The operation has left McDougall trailing behind the rest of the squad, but he insists his recovery is ahead of schedule.
“I’m a lot further ahead than I thought I’d be, so I’m definitely looking forward to the new season. I can’t wait.”