There have been plenty of injury lows for Chris Millar this season.
But the St Johnstone midfielder is determined to finish off on a footballing high.
Hamstring injuries, and fear of hamstring injuries, have plagued last season’s player of the year during 2015/16.
But, with Millar ready to face Ross County in a crucial Premiership match this evening, the former Morton man is optimistic that his hamstring will hold up until the end of the campaign and the team will make their traditional surge to the finishing line.
“I always seem to be talking about my hamstring,” Millar admitted. “And I don’t like it.
“I’ve done plenty of rehab over the last three weeks, trained since Wednesday and I’m happy with the way that it feels.
“I’ll just have to manage the hamstring before and after games from now until the end of the season.
“Originally it looked like I would be out for about four to six weeks but I didn’t want to be out for that sort of period with important games coming up.
“So I’ve had three weeks off and there’s a couple of free weekends coming up soon as well. During those I’ll be able to do more strengthening work. Hopefully that will see me through to the end of the season.
“I’m happy, the physio is happy and I don’t feel that it’s affecting me just now.”
Has this been the most frustrating period of his career?
“Definitely,” said Millar. “To go from last season, which was one of the best seasons I’ve ever had, to a season like this when I’ve been in and out has been really tough to take.
“But these things happen in football and you have to be strong mentally.
“There’s no doubt it has been a test of character.
“You get stick from the lads. There’s the comments like ‘Sick Note Millar’ but that’s what you would expect. The lads are just trying to make you feel better.
“The League Cup semi-final was probably the lowest point having to go off early in that one after working so hard to be ready for it.
“After that I played a full 90 against Motherwell and then felt it again against Partick. I was pretty flat after that.
“You start saying to yourself, ‘is there a problem here?’ You do question yourself. But you get scans and speak to people and they’re saying ‘it’s not a joint, it’s not a knee, it’s just a strength issue and it will take time’.
“When I was told that I’d get a programme I’ve just got my head down and stuck to it to make sure I would be back in to help the team to push for the top six.”
That top six place is the priority – and a win against County this evening may be enough to secure it. But it won’t be the limit of Perth ambitions.
“It would be a big result if we could win this one,” Millar said.
“You saw how good a side they were at the weekend. I think Jim McIntyre has actually said that St Johnstone have been Ross County’s blueprint.
“They’ll be on a real high coming into this game.
“But we’ve got so much left to play for. We want a top six place again.
“Fourth is there to go for again for us.
“It’s up for grabs for a number of clubs and it will be about who can put in a run of form at the right time.
“We’ve got the experience. We’ve been there and done it before but you can’t take that for granted.
“Our run-in looks more favourable because we don’t have to play Celtic or Aberdeen whereas a few of the teams about us do.
“But, on the other hand we’re playing other teams who have things to fight for like Dundee United and Kilmarnock.
“We know what we’ve got to do.”
Brian Easton is also a contender to take part tonight.