Ross County forward Craig Curran did too much too soon in his attempts to recover from a succession of injuries and illness, but is confident his dark days are done.
Curran, pictured below, spent several months on the sidelines last season after suffering dizziness, fatigue and headaches following a blow to the head in the 4-0 victory against Kilmarnock last August.
Although Curran returned in October, the Englishman broke down again after suffering from glandular fever, and went on to miss almost the entire second half of the campaign.
After participating in every training session since the Staggies returned for pre-season last Friday, Curran reckons he is on course for a full recovery.
He said: “It has been a long time. It’s the first pre-season I’ve actually looked forward to, even with all the running.
“No-one ever wants to miss so much football, and I had two good spells playing last year, but it was marred by the two bad spells as well.
“I wanted to push it when it was not the right time.
“I knew last year that even when I was trying to get back, I wasn’t right. But it’s a different feeling this time around. I feel a lot better. I’ve got to the point now where I can train and play.
“I’ve done all the training with the rest of the squad and all the running. The tough runs have been fine and my fitness levels are good, they’re starting to get back.
“Another week or two of football and I’ll be going into the season in better condition than I was last year. That will be a good thing for me, and I’ll be looking to kick on.
“I want to make sure I have a good year and stay fit and healthy.”
Curran was forced to watch on from the sidelines and the 26-year-old added: “They were probably my two toughest days in football, watching the League Cup semi-final and the final win against Hibs.
“I missed a lot of games, and they were all bad days, but I was thrilled for everyone when we won the League Cup.
“But I’m not going to dwell on the past, I’ve got my mind on the future.”