Gary Mackay-Steven wondered if he’d ever kick a ball again after leaving Hearts in the summer. A broken foot and ligament tear which meant he’s not played a game since October 6 last year was still nagging and at 33-years-old the former Celtic winger was facing the bleak prospect of hanging up his boots.
But a call from former boss Derek McInnes to step up his rehab at Kilmarnock handed Mackay-Steven a career lifeline. And after winning a one-month deal at Rugby Park he’s determined to grab that chance with both hands and prove he can still cut it in the top flight.
The first chance could come against Celtic on Sunday after being an unused sub in Wednesday’s win at Aberdeen. And Mackay-Steven said: “It’s a challenging injury.
It was just a feeling of ‘will I get back to playing football?’ I wasn’t thinking about any particular level .. I just felt there were times when I was still in a lot of pain and thinking would I ever get over the injury. "So every day now is a positive and a bonus almost.
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