Elgin City midfielder Scott Smith says an eight-month injury lay-off has made him all the more determined to make the most of his playing days.
Smith was ruled out for nearly all of last season with an ankle injury he suffered in only the second league match of the campaign against Edinburgh City at Borough Briggs.
After returning in April to play the final four games of last season Smith has found opportunities limited this term, however the 22-year-old has forced his way into manager Gavin Price’s starting line-up in recent weeks, starting the last four matches.
Smith is eager to hold on to his place, with City making the trip to Berwick Rangers in League 2 today.
He said: “I have been waiting my time and hoping it would come, although I have been biting away at the manager trying to get him to give me a chance.
“It’s good I’ve had that now so I’ve just got to continue playing and keep my spot. I had a wee run towards the end of last season so I wouldn’t say this is the first run I’ve had.
“As a young player you just want to always play and any run you do get, you want to continue to play well.
“Last season I had my injury, and that has caused me a lot of problems. I picked up the injury in one of the first games of the season and it kept me out for about eight months – which was nearly the whole season.
“It was very unexpected but it just shows you can’t take anything for granted. You just need to take care of yourself and play as well as you can, because it’s a very short career.”
The Black and Whites are sixth in the table but have moved to within a point of the play-off places with back-to-back home victories over Clyde and Cowdenbeath.
It marks a swift recovery from a run of three straight defeats, in which the Moray outfit conceded 14 goals, and Smith is eager to maintain the upturn in form.
He added: “It’s a good run we’re on just now considering our form in the last few games before it.
“It’s very tight for the play-off places, with so many teams going for the four spots.
“When you see a team winning three or four games in a row, it puts pressure on the other teams to perform.
“The boys will take the confidence we have gained from the wins we’ve had, as it’s crucial we keep it going in order to climb the league.”
