Leg break Saint battling back

Dec 18 2012 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser

Leg break victim David Robertson is playing it day to day as he maps out his rehab.

The midfielder goes out of contract at the end of the season and faces an uncertain destination on the road to recovery.

But yesterday the former Dundee United player was more concerned with paying tribute to the ambulance team and staff at Perth Royal Infirmary who cared for him after the incident near the end of an SPL clash with Hibs at McDiarmid Park at the end of last month.

And even in the face of adversity, the joker in the Perth pack managed to raise a smile from concerned Saints football administrator Paul Smith as he was being carried from the field on a stretcher.

Robertson told PA Sport: “It was sore and there was an initial shock but the pain was bearable as I was going off to hospital just as long as no one touched me.

“When I was being carried to the ambulance Paul asked if I needed anything from the dressing room. Every time after games, Paul comes in and tells me I’m doing a lounge, going in to speak to the fans.

“I said to him straight away, ‘listen Paul, I’m not going to manage the lounges tonight.’ He took it well and started laughing. I hadn’t even had any morphine at that point!”

Robertson bears no grudges against his opponent, insisting it was a fluke injury.

But he admitted: “It is horrendous timing for me personally. I am out of contract in the summer and I had just started to do well for the team, scoring a few goals and proving I was worth a starting jersey.

“I’ve really had no luck since I signed for Saints. Before this, I hadn’t had a run of games without breaking down with wee niggling injuries.

“I’m taking it day by day. I haven’t asked how long the medics reckon I will be out. Gradually, over the next few weeks I will get to start cycling and start working on the muscles and take it from there.

“There’s nothing I can do about this situation so there’s no point worrying about things, what might and might not happen down the line.

“It’s great coming in to see all the boys again. It’s been boring by myself in the house. It’s been a nightmare.”

Robertson stressed he got the best of treatment at PRI, where he underwent surgery within 24 hours of being rushed in.

“The nurses, doctors and all the staff at Perth Royal Infirmary were brilliant so I’d like to thank them for all their support. They really were outstanding. I can’t thank them enough.

“It’s by a long way the worst injury of my whole career. I’ve never had injuries that have put me out for any length of time.

“There’s no big plaster cast and the boot gives me support when I am moving about. I’ve been able to take it off and try to get movement in the ankle joints. That’s a positive.

“I’m not losing as much muscle mass as if I had been in a cast for seven or eight weeks but it will still take months to get back.

“It was just one of those things that happen in football. It was a block tackle and 99 times out of 100 there wouldn’t be a problem but unfortunately for me this was the one per cent.

“From what I remember the Hibs player kicked through and I was going in with the side of my foot. I was just unlucky.

“I knew right away there was a problem. It had gone numb.

“It was obvious something wasn’t right. But now my focus is on getting back playing again.”