Empathy for stopper Siegrist as Carson steps up for United

Trevor Carson has backed fellow Dundee United keeper Benjamin Siegrist to bounce back stronger than ever after his injury nightmare.

Siegrist sustained a knee injury in training before last weekend’s victory over St Johnstone that will keep him out of action for an extended period.

It also opened the door for Carson to step in between the sticks.

Having experienced his own injury hell in recent years, with deep vein thrombosis and a knee problem robbing him of huge numbers of games, the Northern Irishman knows what Siegrist is going through.

But he also believes that the Swiss stopper has the character to come back even better than before.

In the run-up to today’s Premiership clash with Hearts at Tannadice, Carson said: “On a human level, I feel sorry for Benji. I’ve been there myself.

“We still don’t know the full extent of what it is but at the time you could see he was distraught.

“It’s one of those situations, you don’t really know what to say to him. I was completely gutted for him – especially with the form he’s been in.

“It’s no secret that there’s been a lot of interest in him and the injury probably couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“My experience gives me a bit of insight, but no matter what anyone says to you immediately afterwards, it doesn’t register.

“Obviously I want to play in the team every week, but these are not the circumstances I wanted it to happen by.

“I just said to him from working with him for six, seven weeks I know he’ll be back stronger.

“I can tell he’s got the character.

Carson kept a clean sheet on his Tangerines debut as United downed St Johnstone in Perth.

And the 33-year-old – who has been called into the Northern Ireland squad for next week’s matches – can’t wait to take the field at Tannadice against Hearts.

“On Saturday night when I was thinking about the St Johnstone game, that’s exactly how I wanted it to go in my head,” he said.

“I needed the game. It was my first game in nine months or so and my first game in front of a crowd in maybe three years, which is scary.

“I was out of the team at Motherwell with a blood clot and missed a year of football. Then when I did come back the pandemic struck.

“I’d forgotten the buzz playing in front of a crowd gives you. It was an amazing feeling – and to have my family there as well made it a brilliant occasion.”

He added: “It’s going to be a great occasion (against Hearts). There’ll be a big crowd.”

Trevor Carson aims to grasp his opportunity.