Marko aiming to put injuries behind him for promotion drive

May 24 2007 By Andy McGilvray

MARK McLaughlin this week admitted he sunk so low during an injury-ravaged campaign that he didn’t feel part of things at Hamilton Accies.

And the 31-year-old has set his sights firmly on helping the New Douglas Park club challenge for promotion next season.

Marko only managed five appearances before groin injuries kept him on the sidelines from October 17 until he was able to play the first half of Hamilton’s last game of the season against St Johnstone on April 28.

That factor proved to be enormously frustrating for the defender, who has admitted he now has to take more care of himself as he prepares for the new season ahead.

McLaughlin said: “Only playing five games was very disappointing last season. The team did well, but with me not playing it was disappointing to all the boys, myself and the gaffer, Billy Reid.

“It was extremely frustrating to have to watch as you don’t feel part of the team when you’re not playing and I felt that I had let everybody down because I was injured.

“Unfortunately I came back probably a little bit too early as well, and had a re-occurrence of the injury, but that was because I was too keen to get back playing.

“This time I will make sure I’m 100 per cent. before I come back and I’m hoping to play most of the games, if not all of them, next season.

“I’m looking forward to next season, but it’s still a bit away.

“At the moment I’m just concentrating on doing my rehabilitation and building up the strength in my groins.

“I had a great pre-season last year but got my injury against Hibs in a friendly, so I’ve got to be careful this summer, and if I feel that I’m doing too much I’ve got to ease back.

“It was good to play the first half against St Johnstone, and in front of such a big crowd.

“However, for me it was just a case of playing 45 minutes, getting over that hurdle in my head that my groins are fine now, and getting a wee bit of match fitness before coming off at half-time.”

McLaughlin added: “I need to be more experienced and understand my injuries more, and learn that it’s not a case of ‘keep going’.

“I’m 31 now and I can’t do things that I could do when I was 21 — but in my head I still think I can.

“I need to be more mature about it. I’ll take my time, get a pre-season under my belt, and hopefully I’ll be fighting fit for the start of the season.”

With Dunfermline dropping down from the SPL and Stirling Albion and Morton coming up from the Second Division, McLaughlin anticipates a tough campaign ahead.

However, he reckons Accies will be ready.

He said: “I know where the gaffer wants to take this team — all the boys know that — and the chairman, Ronnie MacDonald, wants to take this club to the next level as well.

“I’m sure they’ll bring in a better standard of player; I think we’ve got a decent squad just now, but if the gaffer adds a bit of experience to that, it will be great for Hamilton.

“I played 45 minutes with Chris Swailes against St Johnstone and it was good — he’s aggressive, has played at a high level, is big and strong, and with myself, Davie Elebert and big Brian Easton, I think we’ve probably got one of the top three defences.

“That’s a good thing to have if you want to challenge next year, which I’m sure Hamilton will.”