Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Patience pays off for striker Clark after injury ‘nightmare’
ST Johnstone striker Nicky Clark knows better than most what can go wrong if you push yourself too hard, too soon, on the comeback trail.
The Perth forward has revealed he ended up breaking his leg in a bid to aid last season’s Premiership survival battle.
So, when boss Craig Levein has talked about managing Clark’s game time and training workload, he can understand the caution at play.
“There were complications with the first injury,” the 32-yearold recalled. “I’d had the same problem with my left ankle at Dundee United in the Covid season.
“I managed to get back really quickly then. It was the same injury, same surgeon.
“But with the situation we were in towards the end of last season, I maybe pushed it too quick to get back.
“That caused the screw to move and I got a fracture in my leg. It was a complete nightmare.
“I ended up getting that screw out so hopefully I won’t have any issues with it going forward. I tried to push it to help the team.
“The screw hadn’t completely set and when I was twisting and turning it’s obviously moved and cracked the tibula with the bone that the screw was through.”
A trip to meet St Mirren in Paisley brings back memories of Clark’s first game in nearly a year turning out to be Steven MacLean’s last as Saints manager.
“It was a tough one to take,” he said. “Macca losing his job was not nice. We have to take the responsibility for that. We were the ones on the pitch.
“Going back down there this time, hopefully we can make amends and get three points.”
Clark believes he is now in great shape for the Premiership run-in. “I’ve trained just about every day since the break,” he said. I’m feeling good and hopefully I’ll get a chance to show that against St Mirren.
“I can understand the manager taking it easy with me. But I want to show what I can do.”