Graham getting to grips with Tannadice life After a roller-coaster season

EVERY football career inevitably has its highs and lows. It is not often that a player runs the full gamut of emotions the game has to offer in less than a season, mind you.

Ross Graham though has been through enough ups and downs since the summer to last him for another 15 years – supposing he plays for that long – with the 21-year-old coming through a nightmare loan spell at Dunfermline to emerge as a regular for Dundee United, taking in a debut at Celtic Park and a goal against Rangers to boot.

Now, he has capped it all off with a call-up for the Scotland Under-21 squad announced by Scot Gemmill last week, and Graham feels that it is a justified reward for a refusal to lose faith in his ability, and keep believing his fortunes would turn, even when he was struggling to get a game for the Championship’s bottom side.

“I’ve loved my time being back in the building and among all the lads again,” Graham said. “It’s been a really good few months for me. I’m delighted to get a Scotland call-up, too. I think the way I’ve been playing has probably merited that. I’m just thankful to get called up.

“It’s been an up and down season for me personally. I started off well at Dunfermline then went through a bit of a tricky spell. It’s taken off again since I’ve been back at United. It’s been a good season so far for myself.

“Dunfermline was hard for everyone at the club. We weren’t doing particularly well but you just have to keep the mindset that things will turn at some point. You have to keep believing that things will change and thankfully they have for me.”

Graham (inset) is preparing to take on Celtic once again on Scottish Cup duty tomorrow night, and he is sure that his baptism of fire in a United shirt – when he helped his side come within seconds of a shutout at Celtic Park before Liel Abada’s injury-time winner – will stand him in good stead to go one better this time around.

“When you come up against Rangers and Celtic, you have to be switched on for the whole 90 minutes,” he said. “If you switch off at one point, they’ll punish you for that. I think it’s about keeping your focus and concentration in games like this.

“It will be a big occasion with a big crowd, so you have to keep your wits about you.

“I’m always going to remember that Celtic game for the rest of my life because

it was my debut. I remember it very clearly. I thought we were unlucky in the end to lose that goal right at the death. It was a good performance for us in the 90 minutes apart from when they scored.

“It came out the blue. A few different things happened, with Scott McMann going down injured. There could’ve been a chance of me coming on then, [but] he made it through until half time.

“I just got the shout from the gaffer [Tam

Courts] that I was going on. It was really unexpected but it probably worked out better for myself not to think about much, just getting thrown in. “It worked in my favour. I’d say my confidence was probably on a downer when I came back.

“It was a really low point at Dunfermline. When I came back to United at the start of January it started picking up again training with the first team and waiting for my chance.

“I feel I had a point to prove in every training session to show that I am capable of playing in that first team.

“I’m thankful that the gaffer gave me that chance to show what I can do. Everyone has been great with me. The gaffer, the senior lads, big Ryan [Gauld] the captain has helped me along the way.

“The club has been really positive all round. The manager’s positivity is something I enjoy. He backs not just me but the whole team every week. The way he approaches games he gives us the belief that we can go and get three points in every game.

“I think that’s what you need, to have that confidence of the gaffer.”