‘MURRAY INSPIRED INJURY COMEBACK’

SURGEONS who told Fiona Brown her pro career was over didn’t consider the influence of Andy Murray.

The Scotland attacker (above), 24, shares a hometown with the tennis legend – and also, she admits, the same stubborn, never-say-die streak.

Brown watched enthralled as a kid in Dunblane as Murray (right) tried and tried again to succeed at Wimbledon before triumphing in 2013.

She had even crowded into the High Street with thousands of others for his homecoming parade the year before, when he won Olympic gold at SW19.

Murray’s mum Judy visited the dressing room after the recent 3-2 farewell victory over Jamaica to give Shelley Kerr’s squad a pep talk ahead of tomorrow’s World Cup opener against England.

Brown plays for Rosengard in Sweden, but just four years ago refused to take the advice of doctors on her second serious knee injury. She wasn’t ready to roll over and accept the worst.

She said: “Andy and (brother) Jamie are huge inspirations. Andy, especially, shows how you can suffer near-misses and yet still go and achieve success.

“I grew up watching Andy winning Wimbledon – and losing it. I was there at his homecoming and even had my picture taken with him.

“Both boys have brought positivity back into the town instead of what it was known for. That’s down to the work they’ve put in to be successful.” Surgeons advised Brown in 2015 to forget about a pro career and she added: “I suffered my first cruciate injury in 2012 and didn’t understand the severity.

“The second one, four years ago, was gutting. I was told, ‘You’ll never play pro now, you can’t train that much any more’.

“I had my heart set on playing pro and I’m stubborn, so I did everything I could to come back and make it happen.”