Alan Robertson

controls your knee bending. We’re in the wee medical room, I had tape on it and the club doctor has taken it off.

“My kneecap went from where it should be and just slid up my leg. There was nothing holding it in place.

“More than once I thought I was done. After my surgery they got me up to walk and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, just to walk two feet.

“I couldn’t manage crutches. Then I had a zimmer frame and barely managed that.

“Putting pressure on my knee was horrendous. I thought I was done. I didn’t realise how hard the rehab was going to be.

“I had to rest then when I eventually got in with the physio Ross Grady, the f irst thing was to get my knee bending to get the full range back.

“I had to do it every day in the morning and without fail I’d be in tears. Something so simple as bending your leg and it was that painful.

“I was thinking this is never going to end.”

While many look to those who came before them for motivation, the father-of-two’s inspiration lies at home.

His four-year-old son Shaw was back in hospital just days before Christmas for further procedures having been born with a cleft lip and palate.

Sure enough, against East

Fife at Broadwood a fortnight ago, the smallest person in a crowd pushing 1000 stood out.

Sporting his new Clyde strip, Mitchell’s boy was the most animated of the lot – and is likely to be again today.

Mitchell, also dad to eightyear-old Laila, said: “He’s going mad showing me his strip was the same as mine.

“After we won, I took him out from the crowd and the smile on his face was amazing.

“He was fist pumping and shouting away.

“Those are the things that keep you going, seeing my kids proud and happy that I’m their dad and about what I’m doing.

“Shaw is only four and the stuff he’s been through already is unbel ievable. But you would never know as he’s the happiest wee boy ever. The ot he r day we had the speech therapist and he dealt w ith it no bother.

“He is someone to admire.

“He’s a strong wee guy and what he has been through is u nbe l ie v able for somebody his age. But he has taken it in his stride.

“My wee girl came out of school the other day and said,‘ Nobody believes me