'I lost a stone in weight': Raith Rovers star Callum Fordyce on nightmare season of injury and illness

The catalogue of misfortune which has hit the 32-year-old, who joined Raith on a two-year deal after leaving Airdrieonians last summer, began when Fordyce sustained a major injury just 64 minutes into his Rovers league debut at Airdrie on the opening day, a game which the Kirkcaldy side lost 1-0 and resulted in the sacking of manager Ian Murray – who had also bossed Fordyce at the North Lanarkshire club – the following day.

Fordyce told the Fife Free Press: "It's been a nightmare seven or eight months, especially having not been injured for five or six years prior to this season. There's definitely not been a dull moment. It's not been ideal for myself.

"There's been a lot of setbacks throughout the seven months and I haven't really got going.

"I got a full pre-season in then I was injured in the first league game and probably didn't realise the extent of the injury, how serious it was on a recurring injury that I'd done years earlier.

"The impact of that meant recovery probably took longer than what it should have. Then I got back fit, trained one week and got straight back into the squad.

"I was still trying to find a bit of rhythm, got back in playing and I was feeling good. But then over Christmas I got really ill. Before Christmas I had the norovirus winter vomiting bug.

"Then I went back for a week to two weeks and got really bad flu which I picked up from my wife after New Year.

"I was in a really, really bad way. I was basically bedbound for five or six days and my temperature was up through the roof which wasn't ideal. I was taking antibiotics for a chest infection with how severe it was.

"I lost a lot of weight - about a stone - so I've just probably started to pick myself up now in the past three or four weeks. It took me a while to get my fitness back. I've been building back up and I'm feeling a lot better now and back to myself which is good.

"It's been kind of stop/start which is not ideal but that's life, that's football. There are no excuses on my behalf. You just need to deal with it and go on.

"Hopefully all the problems are behind me now and we can kind of push on towards the end of the season and try and get back in the team."

What makes Fordyce’s travails this term all the more unfathomable is the fact that he had enjoyed almost a decade of injury free football before joining Raith, having previously gone through nearly a year of rehab hell after sustaining a horror leg break when playing for Dunfermline against Ayr United in September 2015.

Fordyce also revealed the emotional turmoil he had to deal with after the disastrous opening day to this season, which saw his good friend and gaffer Murray axed as he was injured.

The ex-Livingston, Dunfermline Athletic and Queen of the South centre-back added: "I obviously had great memories with Ian from my time at Airdrie (a club Fordyce served as a player for five years, the last two of which he was also assistant manager to his cousin Rhys McCabe) and then Ian signed me for Raith.

"But everybody knows how football works. It can be unpredictable at times.

"When Ian was relieved of his duties, I was on the injured bed myself.

"So obviously I started over thinking everything. I had just signed for the club and the manager that signed me was away.

"I was sad, but that’s football. It’s a revolving door at times.

"You’ve just got to kind of move on.”

When asked if he is surprised that his old club Airdrie are now isolated at the bottom of the William Hill Championship table despite seeing off Raith on day one, Fordyce added: “I think it just shows you how unpredictable the league can be.

"I don’t think where they are in the league table determines what kind of side Airdrie are.

"I think they are a top, top side.

"They’ve obviously had a lot of injuries which have impacted their season. I think that's one of the main things for them.

"I know a lot of the boys there. They’re really good players but injuries can just hamper seasons.

"That’s how football can work and the Championship is so competitive that the slightest wee thing can go against you.

"Airdrie are a good side, they’re a great footballing side.

"But the Championship is crazy. I think everybody sees that.

"It’s very unpredictable. It doesn’t matter if you’re top or bottom, anybody can beat you on their day.”

Despite Rovers’ toils this season, Fordyce is still optimistic they can push for the Scottish Premiership play-offs.

"I don’t see why not,” he said. “I think people probably didn’t see that two months ago.

"It’s up to us but there will be loads of twists and turns between now and the end of the season.

"I don’t think people realise how tough this league is in some of the games.

"But I know from previous seasons that I’ve been in the Championship, if you get a wee run together and go five or six games unbeaten, it takes you right up there.

"That’s got to be the aim for the rest of the season, push on and go for a run and then see where it takes you.”

Raith, seventh in the table with 27 points from 22 matches, host fourth-placed Partick Thistle this Saturday, February 15 in the league in a 3pm kick-off.