Celtic defender Dane Murray has vowed never to attempt a Rabona again after a failed trick led to a serious knee injury during his recovery from a first ACL problem.
The 23-year-old centre back is enjoying a breakout season at Parkhead, becoming firmly part of the first team plans under manager Martin O'Neill.
Painful Lesson at Lennoxtown
Murray had already ripped his cruciate as a youngster and was building his way back to fitness when an attempted piece of skill turned into disaster.
He said: "I was down the back pitch training at Lennoxtown and decided I was a winger for ten seconds. I went on a mazy and tried a Rabona. Honestly. I went down, got back up and thought, 'This doesn't feel right.' That was it. I have never tried a Rabona again!"
Murray suffered a second ACL injury a month after returning from the first, on the same knee.
He said: "I had the first ACL, rehabbed for a year and did the second one a month after coming back. It was the same one. It was all very quick. The second recovery was probably easier than the first one because I knew what I was doing rehab wise. I thought, 'Okay, I have done this, I know I can get back'. It was about sticking with the programme."
Battling Back from Injury
Murray credited his family, Celtic staff, and physio Paul Griffin for helping him through the difficult period.
He said: "My family helped me, along with everyone at Celtic. I spent a lot of time with Paul Griffin, the physio, and got to know him well on a personal level. Every person is different. You really just have to want it. I was single minded. I wanted to get back, put my boots and get out playing."
The defender described the mental challenge of rehabilitation, saying: "Every day in the gym, you are closed away and not part of the team. You have to think, 'What is going to help me get back to where I want to be?' Being a professional is always what I have wanted to do, so that was in my mind from the start."
From Midfielder to Centre Half
Murray was not always a towering defender, having started as a midfielder before a growth spurt at age 16 changed his trajectory.
He said: "I was a midfielder when I was younger. I wanted to get as far forward as I could and try to score goals. When I was 16, I hit a real growth spurt. It took me a while to figure out where I was going to play, because I couldn't really get about the pitch as much."
He credited his defensive development to early training at Barrowfield, where balls were hung on pendulums before the SFA changed rules on heading.
He said: "When we were younger at Barrowfield, you had balls on pendulums. This was before the SFA changed the rules on heading! There were balls hanging and we would spend ten or 15 minutes crashing into them. I used to love it. It was basically a ball swinging from a rope and you would go and smash it."
Murray has made 12 appearances this season, regularly stepping in for Cameron Carter-Vickers and being talked up by the Hoops coaching staff as a future Scotland prospect.
He is thrilled to be flying the flag for the Celtic Academy alongside close pal Colby Donovan, following in the footsteps of club legends such as Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Kieran Tierney.
He said: "Everyone is a bit different to Colby! He is some character but he's brilliant. I can't speak highly enough of him as a person and a footballer. He's done so well and long may that continue. That's a lot of what this club has been about over the years. They want to promote academy talents and the more in the team, the better."
Murray can see the road ahead, but this time there will be no fancy detours.
