WHEN Andrew Easson insists he is ready to put his best foot forward for Edinburgh Rugby this season, he is talking about the one attached to his left leg.
In the past 18 months, the age-group international utility back has twice undergone surgery after sustaining a fracture then a serious ankle twist.
However, the 21-year-old is adamant that he is now better placed than ever to get his career back
on track after he was figuring regularly in 2006-07 and making European appearances against Gloucester, Leinster and Agen before injury cruelly struck.
"I'm sure my injured leg is now twice as strong as the other one," he insists. "To use my time I've been in the gym building upper body weight and I believe that if I keep my work-rate high I can regain a place with Edinburgh." As a first step Easson will return to the Currie club for whom he made his only three appearances early on last season.
"I'm delighted that the draft system operating for professional players will take me back to Currie where I know my way around to an extent," he says.
On other occasions, when not required to play, Easson will be on the touchline at National League outfit Murrayfield Wanderers whom he has agreed to coach.
"When colleague Simon Cross (pictured] asked if I'd take on responsibility for the backs, while he coached the forwards, I jumped at the chance. I can gain valuable experience that will keep me involved in rugby once my playing days are over. I'm going to be busy next season but I have some catching up to do."
In entering coaching, Easson will emulate his dad, Bob, who is in charge of rugby at the Scottish Institute of Sport while brother, Bryan, is a Scottish age-group international coach.
"It's great to know I have family who are both supportive and willing to point me in the right direction," he says.
Most of all, though, Easson, who was at Murrayfield this week to show round former school-mate Lewis Stevenson who'll be playing for Hibs against Barcelona at the national rugby stadium on Thursday, wants to resume playing. "When I got on to the European stage with Edinburgh it was an absolutely fantastic experience which required me to raise my game in the toughest of environments," he continued.
"Since then, competition for places has increased, but it is important that everybody has to fight and a pool of 40 players enables us to prepare even more thoroughly in practice sessions while having the likes of Chris Paterson and Mike Blair around means you can speak to someone at the very top of the game to iron out a problem.
"While I was out I tried to make sure I was never down in the dumps in a way that affected others but now I'm ready to start challenging them. I have another year of my contract remaining and it is important I make a big push so as to stay on at Edinburgh even longer."
The full article contains 524 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
