Dundee United starlet Archie Meekison has vowed to use his frustrating spell on the sidelines to bulk up.
The talented teenager suffered ankle ligament damage during United’s 1-0 victory against Arbroath in July and will be absent until mid-October.
But rather than lick his wounds, the 19-year-old has hit the gym in a bid to return to action stronger than ever.
And Meekison hopes it is already paying off.
“There was a slightly torn ligament in my ankle but I’m six-and-a-half weeks into the recovery and we’re looking at another three-to-four weeks out,” said Meekison.
“At that point I’ll be back in with the team and that’s something I’m really looking forward to.
“I’ve not had too many injuries in my career and I was really positive after this one, asking myself: ‘What can I do?’ And I decided I was going to build myself up a bit.
“There’s always something you can do and I’ve put on a bit of muscle, which was my target during the time out.”
Impact
Meekison announced his arrival in style last term, making three appearances and finding the net in his first-ever start for the club in a 2-2 draw against Motherwell.
Along with the likes of Kerr Smith and Logan Chalmers, the young guns illuminated the final fixtures as the campaign fizzled out from a United perspective.
Speaking on the Friday Night Club with United legend Sean Dillon and presenter Ally Heather, Meekison acknowledged that the set-back could barely have come at a worse time.
“It was difficult because I was in a good frame of mind coming into this season, with the new manager,” he continued. “Everyone was really positive, with the main emphasis being on trying to bring through young players.
“I had a decent start to the season — I was decent in pre-season training — and was feeling confident. When I came on against Arbroath, I was getting on the ball.
“So, while there’s never a good time to get injured, the start of the season isn’t ideal at all!”
However, Meekison added: “There’s no point dwelling on that. If you can get back as quickly as possible, and get back to playing the way you were, then you will come back better.”