The recent fine form of returning Raith Rovers centre-back Callum Fordyce has come after being out for five months with a “freak” acromioclavicular shoulder injury sustained by colliding full tilt with a pitchside advertising hoarding at Kirkcaldy’s Stark’s Park during a training session last October.

Fordyce, 33, has since undergone an operation and returned to fitness to help Raith to William Hill Championship safety by being part of wins in recent weeks which have also seen the club scoop the KDM Evolution Trophy with a 4-1 final success over Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

The ex-Airdrieonians player-assistant manager told the Fife Free Press: “It was probably a really freak accident I had. There are not many times that would happen. The dent is still there, so I hit it with a fair bit of force.

“It’s just one of those ones where I’ve headed the ball and then just hit the kind of wee downslope at the side of the pitch and fell right into the hoarding.

Callum Fordyce has been a key man for Raith Rovers since recovering from freak shoulder injury (Pic by Alan Harvey/SNS Group)

placeholder image — Callum Fordyce has been a key man for Raith Rovers since recovering from freak shoulder injury (Pic by Alan Harvey/SNS Group)

“I’ve come across, put the ball out the pitch, lost my balance and then I just fell. I was probably really lucky that I actually hit my shoulder off it and it wasn’t my head. If it had hit my head, then I could have been in a real bit of bother.

“To rupture my AC joint, I didn’t really know how bad it was. I thought I had actually dislocated my shoulder, but when the physio checked it, it was a ruptured AC joint.

“It was out of place, a grade-five, so really it couldn’t have been any worse, but luckily enough, I got really good care from the club and the surgeon and I managed to get it fixed. Fingers crossed, everything’s been okay.

“It’s probably one of the most painful experiences I’ve had, if I’m honest with you. I dislocated my ankle before, which was a real pain, but you become numb to it, whereas this one has been the most frustrating one.”

Those frustrations are now behind Fordyce, however, as he continues to steer Rovers in the right direction.

“It’s been great to be back in the team,” he added. “Obviously, I had to wait my time to get back in the team, and when called upon, I’ve had to keep the jersey.

“It’s up to me now. The manager has trusted me to go in.

“Lucky enough, we’ve won some league games and a cup recently.

“So it’s been really enjoyable. But, there's a long way to go in the season.

"It's a really competitive squad. And, whoever's playing, it's up to them to do the job on the pitch and keep driving standards and pushing each other.”

Typically for Raith Rovers, this season has been another rollercoaster on and off the pitch.

While the onfield form has fluctuated greatly between good and bad, there have also been several changes at managerial and boardroom level, with Barry Robson being sacked as gaffer and replaced by Dougie Imrie, technical director John Potter being fired and several directors standing down.

Fordyce said: "It's been a mixed season. We kind of started the season really well and then suffered a dip in form.

“The off the pitch matters are nothing to do with the players. It shouldn't affect the players, our job is on the pitch.

"You kind of just need to turn your head away from that. What happens, happens off the pitch.

"The change of manager, with Dougie coming in as Barry’s replacement, has probably resulted in a contrast in playing style.

"Dougie wants us to play differently to what we were like under Barry, but the fundamentals are the same.

"You have to run for each other and fight for each other.

"We’ve had to get used to the new manager but that's part of football.

"Dougie's got us playing a brand of football now that I think is really enjoyable.

"You have see that within the last three or four games especially.

"The season has probably been up and down overall. But, in the Championship, that's football.

"Everybody in this league can beat each other. It's just who's the most consistent probably throughout the season that kind of comes out on top.

"And we've not really been at it probably in the middle part of the season.

"Up and down results can happen, sometimes there's no answers or questions for it.”

Raith, fifth in the table on 42 points from 33 matches after beating Greenock Morton 3-2 at home on Saturday before winning 2-0 at Queen’s Park on Tuesday, continue their league campaign at Arbroath this Saturday in a 3pm kick-off.