Former Aberdeen midfielder Ross McCrorie can’t wait to get back on the pitch after enduring an injury nightmare since moving to Bristol City.
The 25-year-old has spent six months on the sidelines since swapping Pittodrie for Ashton Gate in a £2million move after suffering a rare bone infection in his pelvis.
In an interview with the Sunday Mail, McCrorie admitted it has been the toughest period of his career as he is yet to make a competitive appearance for his new club.
But McCrorie is close to making his comeback for Bristol City and looking forward to helping his new club progress in the English Championship.
He said: “It has been crazy. I pulled out of a training session when I thought I had tweaked a muscle.
“Myself and the physios never thought anything of it.
“But within four days I was in excruciating pain. I could barely move my leg.
“Basically, I’d got a bone infection. The bone had swollen on my pelvis.
“We don’t know how it happened, it’s so rare.
“I was getting tests for a month while in pain. I was literally dragging my leg across the ground.
“Eventually, we got to the bottom of it – scans showed a small part of the bone that had to be removed.
“Because your pelvis is so deep, it was complicated.
“They had to go through a couple of muscles to get to it.
“Finally we got the operation and surgeons told me I wouldn’t walk for six weeks but within five days I was walking off the crutches.
“I was happy with that.
“I’ve had to rebuild my entire left leg again and build up the muscle on it.
“I was told before the op that I wouldn’t be back playing until March.
“But I’ve completed my rehab, I’m flying again.”
Euro 2024 is a target
McCrorie has now turned his attention to playing regularly for Bristol City – with the hope of being able to show Scotland manager Steve Clarke that he deserves consideration for the Scotland squad that will be competing at this summer’s European Championships in Germany.
He added: “It’s a target for me to be involved with Scotland again, absolutely.
“I just have to kick on with Bristol City and the next internationals are a few months away.
“I want to come back stronger, get the club up the table – and hopefully there might be the added bonus of a Scotland call-up.
“Those kinds of personal targets helped me get through the tough time.
“I watched all the qualifiers as we got to the Euros when I was injured.
“My brother Robby was in some squads and I’m friendly with a lot of the boys like Lewis Ferguson.
“Hearing their stories, you have a fear of missing out on something like the Euros.
“That’s what keeps you going because you want to be involved at the very highest level.”
