Ross Matthews is confident he can hit the ground running with Raith Rovers in the new season – in stark contrast to 12 months ago. The midfielder has been granted a testimonial year as he goes into his 12th campaign with his only senior club. Having penned a new 12-month deal, the 28-year-old is relishing the build-up to a a big year – for the club and for him, personally.
This time last summer, however, Matthews was in a different frame of mind. After being plagued by a foot problem and undergoing two operations, he returned for pre-season full of hope – . That kept him , meaning he had not played competitively for 14 months.
“I had the back end of last season, about six months, where I was constantly improving fitness-wise,” said Matthews, who sat out Wednesday’s 1-0 friendly win over Montrose. “So, I was in a good position. And having a small rest over the summer definitely helped as well.
“I’ve been feeling really good since I came back. “The aim is to get a good pre-season under my belt. Obviously, I never managed to do that last year.
“So, hopefully I can keep myself as fit as I can and get ready for the start of the season. “Injury-wise, I’m feeling really good. There’s in at Raith and he’s been really helpful since he’s come in.
“I’ve picked up where I left off last season, which is good.” When Matthews was granted a testimonial earlier in the year, there was still the possibility he would no longer be a Raith player when his cele.
