Fraser Fyvie was so determined to win a contract at a club this summer he was putting himself through gruelling training sessions – up to three times a day.
After leaving Hibs, the midfielder was a free agent but despite his dedication he had no-one alongside him pushing him on as he tried to put himself through a punishing pre-season.
Now, having signed for Dundee United at the start of August, Fyvie is still playing catch-up in terms of fitness.
However, he insists the club’s fans will start to see the best from him once he gets more game time under his belt.
The 24-year-old, who started his career at Aberdeen, said: “I am still trying to build myself up and get used to the way the team plays.
“It was difficult in the summer because I was training on my own for most of it.
“I went in to train with Aberdeen for a few weeks but they had started playing their games.
“So I didn’t get that first two or three weeks of pre-season which really gives you the platform for your fitness.
“I was motivated in the summer. I was out training twice a day or sometimes even three times because I knew I had to keep in shape to get a club.
“When you see boys going back it hits you. You need to make sure you are up to speed.
“But you don’t get the benefit of being in with a team. If you are a few yards off it you don’t have the benefit of someone in front of you.
“In that situation you have someone to catch and it pulls you along, but training on your own you don’t get that.
“I did the best I could but I definitely need more match fitness, I know that myself.
“I think it’s just games I need – the more matches I play, the better I will get.”
United welcome Alloa to Tannadice this afternoon in the Irn Bru Challenge Cup with manager Ray McKinnon admitting he is likely to field a team compiled mostly of youngsters mixed with some senior players requiring game time.
Fyvie may or may not fall into the latter category but one thing he is certain of is that there can be no repeat of last weekend’s desperately-disappointing display in defeat at St Mirren.
He added: “We didn’t turn up and St Mirren were better than us in every department.
“They were better organised and played their game plan perfectly.
“We had our game plan as well. We had worked hard on it and everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing.
“But for whatever reason we didn’t follow it through as well as they did and they deserved to beat us.
“They probably deserved to beat us by the three goals as well so that’s something we have to make sure doesn’t happen again.”
United’s No.1 aim this season is to win promotion from the Championship, something Fyvie knows all about having achieved that with Hibs last season.
He said: “In this league you get setbacks – that’s the nature of it.
“I remember last season at Hibs we dropped points at home to Ayr and that was a bit of a wake-up call.
“There are no easy games in this division. I have been in the Championship for three seasons and it’s very competitive.
“It’s never easy so you have to pull together and when you get a setback like we did last weekend, you have to respond to it.
“We have talked about it, the manager put his points across and we put our points across.
“Everyone agreed and we are working on how we execute things much better in future.
“We need to improve as a team and move forward – but we have the players to do that.
“This weekend is a break from the league, it’s a cup match and we’re glad to have it because it’s a chance to show we have learned from the St Mirren game.”
