SAUCHIE STAR

out of his left shin a nd suffered multiple shrapnel injuries. His partner Gemma, now his wife, was by his bedside when he woke up and has supported him all the way. Syme, who served with the 45 Commando, said: “You wake up, you’re covered in wires and tubes are coming out of every where.

“Thatwas the biggest worry when you were out there, hitting an IED and maybe losing your legs.

“Look ing back, you’re think ing, ‘It could have been worse.’ We lost quite a few guys out there and guys [were left] with life-changing injuries. “Mine were life-changing for a year up until I went back to Afghan. “I still get wee aches and pains but you can live with that. I can’t make a full fist with my left hand – but I’m not a goalie so it doesn’t matter!” His pal Andy suffered more severe injuries and almost two years later had his right leg amputated. Neither has dwelled on the past and they still speak once a week. Andy has become the world’s fastest 10km runner on one leg. His story was turned into a documentary called Paragon that was aired on IT V earlier this year. Iain has carved out a career in the fire and rescue serv ice at Edinburgh Airport after a second tour in Nad A li, a district in Helmand Province, in 2011. Now 30, he said: “It was sort of putting to bed that whole point in my life by going out there and completing another tour.” Of course, during his year-long rehabilitation, the question of whether he would be able to run again – never mind become a regular under Fraser Duncan at Beechwood Park – hung in the air. The left-back, who travelled to Cy prus and America while playing football in the Marines, said: “When I was doing my rehab, I’d be pushing the guy, ‘I want to get out running.’ “He said, ‘Well you’ve got a limp, you just need to take each day as it comes and slow down a wee bit.’

“I said, ‘I want to get back play ing football’ and he was like, ‘Have you ever thought you might never be able to get back playing again?’

“I started back playing Su nday League and I wasn’t as fast. I was getting aches and pains and was like, ‘Thisis never going to be the same.’ “But it just took time. It was a few years before I could properly play