Ross Matthews is hopeful almost three years of agony is finally over after he made his first appearance for Raith Rovers in 14 months.
The midfielder made his long-awaited comeback in Tuesday’s Fife derby triumph over Dunfermline Athletic to wipe away the frustration of a nightmare injury lay-off.
It may have been no more than 15 minutes of action, but it meant the world to the 27-year-old.
The last time the fans’ favourite had stepped out in Raith’s colours in a competitive match was on November 5 in 2022.
Even then, the six appearances he made that campaign were racked with pain as he tried to play through the discomfort of a foot problem.
It was an on-going issue, dating back to 2021, that needed two bouts of surgery to resolve.
And, when he returned for pre-season last summer, an associated ankle ligament injury caused yet another setback.
Hoping for more minutes away to Airdrie, Matthews explained: “I had surgery at the start of last season for an on-going, persistent injury I’d had for over a year.
“It was just annoying me and getting worse all the time.
‘I’m not sure why’
“I went to see a specialist, who recommended surgery. But, unfortunately, that didn’t go well. Still to this day, I’m not sure why.
“Last season was basically about trying to get over that surgery. Then, I had a second operation to correct it.
“I was getting back in pre-season and unfortunately had an ankle injury, which was a different injury but was obviously in some way related to the previous foot injury.
“I’m just getting over all that now. I’m glad it’s over.”
Matthews’ injury sounds an innocuous one, but it was no less painful or exasperating than any other.
He added: “I was getting a lot of pain in the ball of my foot any time I was running.
“So I saw a foot specialist, who told me they needed to clean out the joint at bottom of my big toe. That’s where I was getting the pain.
“But after I had the surgery the pain got even worse. It wasn’t even a bit worse, I couldn’t run on it at all. I still don’t know why.
“It was so frustrating. You don’t realise how important your big toe is, even just pushing off, sprinting and turning.
“You take it for granted until it’s in agony and then you realise how important it is.”
‘It’s been a long time coming’
It is a decade since Matthews made his debut for Raith Rovers, the team he joined as a 16-year-old.
From relegation to League One and promotion back to the Championship, the Edinburgh-born player has seen plenty of ups and downs in his time at Stark’s Park.
This week’s comeback, in a 2-1 derby victory over rivals Dunfermline – earning a fourth win in a row in the fixture – was definitely a high.
He said: “I was delighted to actually get on the pitch. It’s been a long time coming.
“I had a time last season when I came back for a small period but I never felt right. I knew that in the back of my mind.
“But when I came on against Dunfermline, that’s the first time, honestly, in about a year and a half that I’ve been on a football pitch and been pain free.
“That’s the thing I’m happiest about. Hopefully, touch wood, that continues and I’m pretty confident it will.
“I’ve done literally everything I can, in the gym and all my rehab stuff, and I’m constantly feeling better all the time.
“I couldn’t have asked for probably a better game [Dunfermline] to come back into. As a Raith player, it’s a game everyone wants to play in.
“Obviously, we’ve got a good record over them this season and to get another win was great to be a part of because I’ve had to watch all the others from the stand.”
