A HAPPY NEW YEAR
Easton prepares to train again after battling 12 months of injury woes
It went down as the worst year of his footballing life but St Johnstone defender Brian Easton is hoping his injury nightmare is almost over.
The experienced full-back has not turned out for the first team since December 2017 following a number of frustrating setbacks.
On more than one occasion the 30-year-old was ready for a return before problems with his groin and pelvis persisted to keep him sidelined.
He admits there have been many dark days across the past 12 months but his love for football kept him determined through it all.
He said:“When I’ve broken down or I’ve been back doing the same thing in the gym, you do think –‘I can’t do this anymore’.
“There have been a few dark moments. I don’t think I’d ever say ‘enough is enough’though.This is the best job in the world.
“I love playing football and I love being in this environment.
“There are times when you think ‘I’ll just give this one more go’. I don’t think I’d ever say‘that’s enough’.
“Without doubt it’s been the worst year of my life. It’s been tough.
“I love playing football and it’s hard to sit in the stands and watch.
“What has made it worse is coming back and breaking down a few times.
“The disappointment of that and knowing that all the fitness work and rehab will have to be done again is tough mentally. Easton hasn’t played since this 2-0 defeat against Dundee
“That’s happened a few times. Even when you’re away from football it’s always on your mind.
“I’ve found it hard to switch off. It’s the thing that stops you from getting to sleep when you’re lying in bed at night.”
Support from team-mates both past and present has kept Easton in positive spirits.
“The boys have been brilliant,” Easton said.“They’ll pick me up when they can see I’ve not had the best of days.
“I’ll get a text from the boys. The gaffer has been the same.
“There have been a few times when he’s phoned and said‘look, just take the weekend off because I can tell you’re not right’.
“Guys like Steven Anderson. When you’re out doing your running by yourself, he’ll come and run alongside you.
“That’s the sort of boys we’ve got here. It’s not doom and gloom all the time because it’s a really positive place.
“Speaking to the likes of James McCarthy has helped. He had a bad leg break. And there have been plenty of my old team-mates.
“Dave Mackay was in a couple of months ago and we had a talk. Chris Millar and Steven MacLean the same.
“They’re always there to chat. I’ve definitely not been short.
“It’s what you would expect from the type of guys we’ve had here and still have here.
“When I saw Lee Wallace come on that was a boost.
“He’s gone through something similar – coming back and breaking down a few times.”
The injury has been a complicated one but Easton can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Explaining his journey, he said:“It started with a knee injury and I already had problems around my pelvis and groins.
“We were talking two months for the knee injury and while that was getting sorted we’d sort out the other stuff. “There was never a set time but you were
always thinking about a couple of months. It’s never worked out that way.
“The last game I played was about this time – when I came on for the second half against Dundee.
“Looking back, something wasn’t right. At the time you just get through it and hope it’s aches and pains.
“Hopefully I’m not too far away. The plan is to get back to light training in the first week and hopefully full training in the second week. Then we’d look to get a few reserve games in. I’ve learned over the last year not to take anything for granted, though. I feel very positive about it this time. It’s all hindsight but when I’ve broken down in the past, maybe I wasn’t ready.
“This time it’s been done slowly. Everything’s been very calculated and has been determined by how I’m feeling.
“There hasn’t been a timeline when I’ve got to stick to a plan week on week.
“Since the last time I pulled out I’ve had two injections and they’ve helped a lot.
“Every couple of days we’re doing stress-testing on my groins and seeing that go well has been a real positive. Hopefully we’ve cracked it.”
Easton will re-join a Perth side whose free-flowing football has them sitting sixth in the Scottish Premiership.
The first fixture after the winter break will see Saints welcome Hamilton to McDiarmid Park for Scottish Cup action on Saturday, January 19.
“Things are going great in the league,”he said.“It’s tight at the top and we’re right in amongst it.
“Hopefully we’ve set ourselves up for a really good second half of the season.
“In pre-season the squad was looking a bit thin with the boys we’d lost but there were a few good signings made.
“And as the season’s gone on you could see we had a really strong squad.
“I’m just dying to be a part of it. There are some boys who I’ve never played with. 2018 certainly hasn’t been a great year for me. I really want to make a go for it in 2019 and hopefully everything will keep
going well.” Brian Easton said speaking to the likes of James McCarthy, a former team-mate who now plays for Everton, has helped Easton is hoping 2019 will be a