In Conversation With - Alan Archibald
Wednesday 8th September 2010
Yesterday afternoon Alan Archibald took a significant step along the comeback trail when he played 65 minutes of a closed door friendly with St Mirren at the home of Johnstone Burgh.
www.ptfc.co.uk caught up with Alan a short time after the full-time whistle and after Alan emerged from his first 65 minutes of action in close on six months unscathed.
“It went fine. There’s no aches or pains, I’m feeling absolutely fine and I’m glad to have come through the game.”
Having not played for so long were there any nerves before the game?
“No, not really. I was more excited to get back playing a game than anything. It’s been a long five and half months to be honest. Especially when it got to pre-season when the other players were out training and playing in games. There is nothing worse than sitting in the stand.”
“I’d been back in training for about two weeks prior to the game. I was training with the rest of the first team squad last week and the week before I was training with the youth players. So I’ve been back involved in training and doing ball work for the last two weeks. The two weeks prior to that were spent doing a lot of running which was essentially my pre-season training. ”
Alan seemed to settle very quickly into the pace of the game.
“It’s one of the easiest things to do. Once the game starts you are oblivious to what has happened before and you just get into the match and your adrenaline really takes you through the game.”
Although just a friendly there was a physical element to the game and few tussles and tackles with his opponents and Alan has taken confidence from coming through them unscathed.
“There’s nothing better than a good tackle and when you come through it and feel all right it gives you that bit more confidence to go on and get more involved in the game.”
Both Alan and Jackie have returned to action well ahead of schedule and I wondered just how important a role in that Club physio Kenny Crichton has played.
“It’s been very important indeed. One of the advantages I had when I first got the injury was the fact that physio Kenny Crichton has some really good contacts and that mean that I got to see someone very early on. Kenny has been fantastic and so too has the Club Doctor, Alan Robertson. ‘The Doc’ has been at the Club for years and he is always there when you need him and so is Kenny. There are always around and visiting you at home when you are injured or anything bad happens and with their help it really is no surprise that I’m back playing earlier than expected and it’s probably the same with Jackie McNamara as well.”
You can read the full text of this interview in Saturday’s programme for the visit of Stirling Albion.
