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Harry Paton on the x rated Motherwell pic that made him squirm as fit again ace hails teammates
Harry Paton still winces when he looks at a picture of the challenge which stopped his season in its tracks.
The Motherwell playmaker was just hitting full flight in the League Cup win against Clyde back in July when a first half challenge saw his ankle buckle and two ligaments suffer the brunt of the damage. Paton admits the agony he felt in that moment was nothing compared to the pain at being told he would need reconstructive surgery. The 26-year-old Canada international says the spell on the sidelines has been the hardest part of his career to date.
But after four months of recovery and rehab Paton is back fit and ready to make up for lost time with Stuart Kettlewell’s high-flying Well. A late sub appearance in the 2-1 win over St Johnstone before the international break signalled his return to action and he looks set for more minutes against former club Ross County this afternoon.
And the midfielder can’t wait to put the memory of that tackle - and the picture - out of his mind for good. Paton said: “I know there are loads of injuries you can kind of say the pitch had an effect on it. But this was more the tackle and the impact of the kick initially.
“My ankle just completely went, unfortunately. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a break. There was a photo sent of the tackle and it’s a hard look. But it didn’t break. The medical term for it is a syndesmosis sprain, which is like a high ankle sprain.
“The ligaments fully went and they just had to reconstruct it. The photo made me squirm. It was a bad one. They sent it through and I thought ‘Oh God, I can’t look at this.’
“I was just frustrated in general. I’d been really happy with how pre-season had been going in general. I was really looking forward to the start of the season and then…well, it was just a big blow. It was probably the hardest part of my career so far just dealing with that.
“But, we’ve got a really tight group here. I know it’s going to sound sad, if we hadn’t that then it wouldn’t have been as easy coping. So, being able to be part of this group has actually been a big help. Having that changing room is a huge thing. We play this game called Wolf, we play it constantly every day. It’s one of the highlights of the changing room.
“I have to thank the medical team, too, and the close people around me, including my family who flew over from Canada to help me get over the initial surgery period when I was on crutches and stuff. But, yes, the medical staff looked after me so well and credit to them.”
Paton doesn’t blame Bully Wee frontman Martin Rennie for the challenge that stalled his season and reckons the experience has made him stronger. He said: “I wouldn’t say it was his fault. It’s part of the game, it was just a bad instance to be in that situation. But I’m really happy to have recovered and got through it. It’s made me stronger. Being able to get back has been the main thing.
“It was honestly really good. It’s what I love to do, being able to go out and just play. It put a smile on my face just being out on the pitch with the guys again.”
Motherwell could jump into fourth place if they better Dundee United’s result today - with the Tannadice side up against Rangers at Ibrox. And Paton said: “We’re definitely in a good place. There was quite a lot of players coming in and we’ve managed to get them to play the way the manager wants. We can see the results are going our way. We just want to keep pushing in that top half, for sure.”
Meanwhile, Well players hoping to make a break for the Euro spots warmed up during the international break - with a trip to the Escape Rooms. Stuart Kettlewell’s players spent the fortnight hard bat work but took time out for a bonding session at the attraction where teams are locked in a themed cellar and challenged to solve riddles to work their way out.
And Fir Park boss Kettlewell admits there were mixed results when it came to his players’ ability to work their way out of a tight situation. He said: “We played a bounce game last Tuesday then had a bit of a recovery session and the lads went off to the Escape Rooms which is quite entertaining.
“There were a few interesting groups in amongst that. One or two surprises for the good and one or two for the worse in their problem solving… I think Tony Watt is still down there! It was a good couple of hours and we are just trying to take away the mundane.
“I just didn’t feel days upon days off and people having the opportunity to jet off was right. I believe in keeping your head down and working and striving towards your goals. Last week was not an opportunity for a holiday, just one to be better.”
