Time out boosted Brophy

HUNGER GAME Brophy

Eamonn Brophy admits he used his time out injured to reflect on his failings.

Now the striker wants to make up for not kicking on from his Scotland debut two years ago.

The St Mirren ace helped Kilmarnock to third in the table then led the line for Steve Clarke’s side against Cyprus in June 2019.

But his form the following season was patchy before disaster struck last year.

A stress fracture of his foot wasn’t diagnosed properly. He struggled throughout the campaign for Killie, then with Saints after a January transfer.

Surgery sorted that problem and Brophy has revealed that some soul-searching brought him back to action with a better attitude. Now he’s primed to help fire Jim Goodwin’s men into top-six contention.

Brophy said: “Being injured gives you time to reflect on what you’re doing right and wrong.

“When you’re younger you don’t always do the things you should. That certainly applied to me.

“Two years ago I was in Scotland squads, finishing third with Killie and people expected me to kick on. But I never did.

“That’s a bit of a regret. Hopefully I now can get back to – or even surpass – my form of a couple of years ago.

“Since coming back

I’m hungrier to be the best I can be. I’m 25. Not a kid any more. I want to try and make the most of my career.”

Brophy’s two league goals for Saints have earned points away to Dundee and Hibernian.

Now he’s desperate for a first win with the visit of Aberdeen, one of the clubs linked with him last season. He said: “I don’t want to say if Aberdeen was an option, but I had a number in Scotland.

“A lot of people were surprised I came here but the manager really believed in me and has stuck by me.”