FORMER DUNDEE United defender Garry Kenneth has vowed to battle back from a season-ending cruciate injury.
The big centre-half will undergo surgery on Friday, after being left in agony following a freak accident while playing for Bristol Rovers against Gillingham last weekend.
He will be sidelined for the next nine months but is determined to emerge a stronger and better player once his rehab has ended.
Kenneth said: “I’m absolutely gutted. It’s the worst possible start to the new year I could have imagined.
“But what’s done is done so I just have to take it on the chin and be as positive as possible each day from now on.
“It’s going to be a long road back and this will be the longest I’ve ever been out for with an injury.
“But there’s no point getting too disheartened because I have to make sure I’m mentally strong, as that will be the key to getting back.
“I’m getting the operation on Friday and will take things from there.
“But right now I’m just trying to keep my spirits up as much as possible because it’s going to be tough.”
Kenneth tried to play on after suffering the sickening injury but eventually had to come off as the pain became unbearable.
He added: “It was one of those things, when I just turned to try and block their player’s shot inside the box.
“But as soon as I turned I felt the knee go and knew I was in trouble.
“I did try and play on for a couple of minutes after that but had to go off just before half-time.
“Basically, whenever I tried to run it off it just felt as though my leg was dragging a huge weight.
“There was no way I could carry on and if I had it might have made things even worse.”
Kenneth has endured a rollercoaster time at Rovers since being signed by former boss Mark McGhee in the summer.
He was enjoying a new lease of life under McGhee’s successor John Ward and had hoped to kick on this year.
Now he faces a long and difficult journey back to full fitness.
He said: “It had all been looking good again until the injury.
“The new gaffer came in and I was feeling fit. I was really just raring to go and help the lads in the second half of the season.
“Now this has happened and my plans have been scrapped. I’m back to square one but this won’t beat me.
“Lots of other players have come back from the sort of injury and I certainly intend to do the same.”
nrobertson@thecourier.co.uk