DORAN AIMS TO PROVE HE’S NOT FAT AND FINISHED
FOR Aaron Doran, amid the considerable trials of the past year, there was only one jibe worse than being called fat — being called fat and finished. As it happened, the Irishman never doubted he would recover from the knee problem suffered after July 2015’s Europa League matches against Astra Giurgiu. He also knew perceptions of his body shape were misguided. But during 12 months on the sidelines, those grim predictions on social media inspired him to prove his detractors wrong. Caley Thistle coaching staff have marvelled at the response of the ex-Blackburn Rovers youth player ever since. Time has been lost along with some weight, but the big aim is to shed the substitute’s tag after eight appearances from the bench since August. Saturday’s dour draw with Kilmarnock was his latest cameo and Doran impressed when he could, driven by a renewed sense of just how precious his playing career is. ‘I hated coming to watch matches because I missed it that much,’ he said. ‘Now I go out and enjoy training and try to have fun. ‘I want to start now because I’m sick of being on the bench. But if that’s the manager’s plan, I’ll come on and try to impact the game. ‘When you get a bad injury, you definitely appreciate the game more. I was told I could be out for 12 to 14 months. I was in shock and a lot of things were going through my head. ‘But I worked hard and, thankfully, I’m back and feel good. I’ve not had any repercussions. ‘I saw stuff on the internet with fans saying I probably wouldn’t play again but I never thought that for a minute. I knew I was always going to come back. I have come back strong and I feel I haven’t lost anything.’ Always bemused by claims he was overweight, Doran has nonetheless lost some of his muscular bulk by shifting emphasis away from work with weights to aerobic fitness. ‘I still need to be sharper and quicker in my decisionmaking, but I was eager to make a difference when I came on,’ he said. ‘I feel leaner and fitter. I’ve lost a bit of weight — six kilos — by not doing weights in the gym any more. ‘I’ve got one of the lowest body fats in the squad. One of the physios even said I should have put something on the internet to counter it. It’s just my build. But I feel good right now.’ Doran’s display was one of the few bright spots for the Highlanders in a poor spectacle. Killie came to frustrate, disrupt and hit on the break — and looked like they had pulled off a narrowly deserved win a week after beating Tommy Wright’s St Johnstone. With just seven minutes gone, Brad McKay’s clumsy bundle into Souleymane Coulibaly brought a penalty kick, only just forced past Owain Fon Williams by the same striker. Killie’s Kris Boyd and Rory McKenzie both hit the woodwork late in the day, while Caley Thistle’s increasingly frantic assault in the second half looked set to be fruitless until late drama. Carl Tremarco’s delivery from the left was headed back across goal by Doran and Lonsana Doumbouya bundled the leveller over the line from close range. ‘We have to take positives,’ said Scott Boyd, on loan at Killie from Ross County. ‘That’s four points from the last two away games, which is good. It’s such a tight league, but we’re sitting in a decent position in amongst teams getting a lot of praise.’