Brora Rangers defender Alex Cooper hopes his injury issues are now behind him.
The left-back returned to the Cattachs side in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Inverurie Locos in the Breedon Highland League, which was their first outing since December 16.
Since arriving at Dudgeon Park in August, Cooper’s involvement has been impacted by an Achilles injury.
The 32-year-old said: “I’ve had a problem with my Achilles heel for most of the last year really.
“It’s come and gone at different times, but I feel good now and hopefully I’ll stay fit for a while.
“It’s been so long since I’ve had a run of games, I’m trying to get back to that, but the injury and the weather has meant I haven’t had that.”
Benefits of Brora move
During his career, Cooper has turned out for Ross County, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, St Mirren, Queen of the South, Cheltenham Town, Sligo Rovers, American side Fresno and, most recently, Swedish outfit Gefle.
However, a return to the north of Scotland and a move into part-time football appealed to Cooper, who is also working as a financial planner.
He added: “It was a timing thing signing for Brora, where it worked for me. I missed about six months when I was unable to play and it was a good opportunity.
“I was looking to get back playing in some capacity and Brora have a good history in the Highland League, so it suited me.
“I did the financial planning exams and then, since stepping away from full-time football, I’ve gone into that and I really enjoy it.”
Scottish Cup clash next for Brora
This weekend Brora are in Scottish Cup fourth round action when former Highland League foes Cove Rangers visit Dudgeon Park.
With the Aberdeen side now full-time and playing in League One, Cooper admits the Cattachs are underdogs.
But he feels they have the quality and belief to cause a shock.
Cooper – who was an unused sub for Falkirk when they faced Caley Thistle in the 2015 Scottish Cup final – said: “It’s an exciting game.
“It will be a tough game, but there’s a lot of quality in the dressing room and we’ll go for it.
“There’s a lot of boys in our team who have been at a good level, we’ve got to have belief for these sort of games.
“The Scottish Cup is a great competition to be involved in.
“You never know what can happen in football. There are always shock results – and hopefully we can cause one.”
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