Ibrox return can inspire Templeton
SEVEN minutes on a Friday night in August 2015 effectively brought an end to David Templeton’s Rangers career. Introduced as a late substitute in a Championship meeting with St Mirren, the winger wouldn’t appear in a blue shirt again.
The cameo was a l ow- key conclusion to what had been a high-profile move from Hearts. More pertinently, it was also the start of 21 months of injury-related despair. All manner of medical i nterventions — f rom steroid injections to electrotherapy — failed to get to the root of debilitating knee pain that l eft Templeton contemplating retirement.
The idea of ever again playing at Ibrox seemed painfully distant. On Saturday, however, the 28-year-old will return to his former workplace as a player renewed.
A crisply- taken goal to earn Hamilton a point against Aberdeen prior to the international break was the latest evidence of a progression towards past form. It will be Templeton to whom Accies look for inspiration this weekend.
‘He’s the type of guy that will get a lift from facing Rangers, and he doesn’t really get fazed by much,’ insisted manager Martin Canning. ‘Temps works really hard in training, but I don’t think he’s the type that needs to — he knows when to switch it on. That’s what a good player can do, and try to peak at the right time.’
For Temple ton, this weekend’s match will be an important landmark. He finally found a cure for his knee when, after leaving Rangers, his agent pointed him towards Dr Andrew Williams. The London-based specialist identified a previously undetected tear deep in the medial ligament and operated to mend.
Ten months without a club then came to an end when Templeton signed a shortterm deal with Accies in March. Extending t hat agreement to cover this season has provided a platform to edge closer to full capacity.
Canning f eels Hamilton should simply appreciate Templeton while he is within their squad. Such is the player’s talent, a richer employer may well come calling.
‘He’s getting back to that kind of level and, hopefully for us, we can keep him fit,’ added Canning. ‘That’s the biggest thing. If we can continue to grow his fitness, he will just get better and better.
‘If he gets back to full fitness then it might be hard to hold on to him. If I’m being honest, he’s the type of guy we normally wouldn’t be able to get here.
‘If Temps had no issues over the last two years, then he wouldn’t be playing for us. I’m certain of that. He’d be at a bigger club either in Scotland or down south.
‘That’s one thing that this club has always done, give guys like Temps a wee break when maybe no one else would give them that opportunity, and we’re reaping the rewards.
‘If he can stay fit and kick on from here, then there’s every chance we could lose him. Hopefully not, but if he does leave for a bigger club, he will go with our best wishes.’
Canning admits he can see Templeton’s self-belief returning with each passing week. Operating in an advanced role beside Argentinian striker Antonio Rojano, he passed up a couple of opportunities against Aberdeen before claiming the goal his play merited.
‘I see a difference in him,’ said Canning. ‘With any player, confidence makes a difference.
‘When you believe you can go and win games and you feel that you’re really fit and can compete f or 70, 80 or 90 minutes, which has been his problem for the last two years, then you do get that lift.
‘The boys get a lift when they are on the park with him, knowing a player of that quality is at the top end of the pitch.
‘Antonio has been a great foil for him, and they link well as a partnership. We have Rakish Bingham, Botti Biabi and Steven Boyd as well, so there’s competition at the top end.’
It was the opposite end of the field that caused Hamilton problems when they last faced Rangers. Despite taking an early lead, chaotic defending condemned Accies to a 4-1 home defeat in September.
‘It was six minutes of madness,’ recalled Canning. ‘We go 1-0 up and then, in that six-minute spell, we were horrendous, giving away three goals.
‘That six minutes is probably the only time this season I’ve seen us rattled. We lost our way completely and we needed something to break it because we were all over the place. We need to make sure going there that we don’t do that again.’