Broadfoot misery almost over

Broadfoot: Long road to recovery

People maybe haven't thought of it as the serious injury it is, but that doesn't bother me too much. I know it's been serious and that's all that matters.

Kirk Broadfoot
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Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot is pleased he is edging closer to full fitness after the misery of eight months spent worrying he may never recover from injury.

The Scotland international sustained a ligament problem in his foot in March's Co-operative Insurance Cup final defeat to Celtic and has suffered a number of setbacks in his rehabilitation.

Medical experts now hope Broadfoot will be able to play again before the end of 2009 and the 25-year-old admits it will come as a mental lift when he returns to the pitch.

"My life has always revolved around football so it's hard when the matchday is not there at the end of the week," he told Rangers News.

"I'd say my girlfriend and my mum and dad have borne the brunt of that because I'm not going to hide from the fact that I'm far grumpier when the injury is affecting me.

"I'm not a nice person at times because of it. I had a day last week when I went out and did some work and, when I went home, the foot was quite sore.

Concern

"I was sitting thinking to myself, 'am I ever going to get better?', and my girlfriend was trying to talk to me but the injury had put me in a bit of a mood. It is hard to take at times."

Doctors have been left bemused by the injury and critics have questioned why such a lengthy recovery period has been required, but Broadfoot's only concern is regaining fitness.

"The scans don't show up anything because the damage was to the ligament underneath the mid-foot," he said.

"But my foot was getting no support in that area and that's why I was getting shooting pains.

"So they had to shave away a bit of bone to repair the ligament. Then they had to screw it and hold it. It's a very rare injury.

"Even the physios and doctors here, in all the years they have been in football, haven't come across this type of injury.

"People maybe haven't thought of it as the serious injury it is, but that doesn't bother me too much. I know it's been serious and that's all that matters."