Dundee youngster Sam Fisher spent his 2020 lockdown in a homemade gym recovering from the shock of suffering a serious knee injury at the age of 18.
Fisher was floored by a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) he sustained during a reserve game for Dundee in December 2019.
He was out for seven months and did the bulk of his recovery in a makeshift gym in his garage.
A new three-year deal at Dundee and a loan spell at Forfar helped the teenager get his career back and he forced his way into Dark Blues’ promotion-winning squad.
Defender Fisher is now back on loan at Loons for their League Two promotion bid, hoping it will act as a springboard back to Dundee.
Sam Fisher back on the pitch last night for the first time since his ACL injury suffered in December last year 👏 👏 👏 #thedee pic.twitter.com/iuLt34snRo
— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) September 30, 2020
Sam Fisher’s garage gym
“In many ways lockdown helped me get back from my injury,” said Fisher. “I wasn’t stuck in a gym with negative thoughts in my head.
“That would be mentally draining. I was at home with my family, working out in a gym I put together in the garage.
“The physio at Dundee Gerry Docherty gave me some kit from the club and I built a squat machine.
“When I say ‘squat machine’ I actually mean two planks of wood on each side!
“I also had a trampoline with bricks under it to put it at an angle.
“Gerry was in touch almost every day to make sure I was ok and the manager was in regular contact too.
“There were some really tough times on the way back.
“I had to learn to walk again. My knee had staples on it and it was hard to put any sort of weight on it at first.
“I also couldn’t do simple tasks like putting my socks on by myself for several weeks but I was absolutely determined I’d make it back in good time.
“They said it could be six to nine months and I came back in seven before heading out to Forfar on loan.”
Fisher, who turns 20 next week, spent the second half of last season on the Dundee bench, playing four times as James McPake’s side earned a return to the Scottish Premiership.
He was on the bench at Rugby Park for their second leg Premiership play-off win over Kilmarnock and wants to enjoy more success at Forfar.
“I have unsettled business at Forfar. I want to try and help the club get back to where they belong,” added Fisher.
“They were in the Championship play-offs not long ago and would like to get back to the right end of League One.
“We are more than capable of getting promoted but we can’t afford to be complacent.
“Kelty Hearts, Edinburgh City and Stirling Albion are all showing real ambition and it’s the toughest League Two for years.
“But we have a very tight-knit group and a manager in Gary Irvine who is producing results.
“We got the bonus point win over Montrose and got three points from the camel-trek to Brora, beating a side that knocked Hearts out of the Scottish Cup last year.
“I hope that form continues into the league season.”
Young Dundee centre-back ruled out for the season as injury situation takes a turn for the worse
