Harkins: I’ve played with broken ankle for four years

The 27-year-old was diagnosed with a broken ankle just before the New Year and it was put in plaster with at least a six-week absence expected.

But on second inspection the injury, which was sustained at training, turned out to be ligament damage.

The former Dundee player thinks the fracture which showed up on the X-ray could have been from his time at Partick Thistle before he left for Dens Park in 2009. Harkins returned to action on Tuesday night, when he set up Paul Heffernan and Dean Shiels for Killie’s two first-half goals in the William Hill Scottish Cup fourth-round replay win against Dundee.

“When I first went for the X-ray, the hospital said the ankle was broken,” said the Kilmarnock striker. “At first, it went up like a balloon and I definitely thought I’d be out for a good while.

“I was gutted at the New Year, to be honest. I was in a plaster-cast for four days, but then I went to the specialist and after they X-rayed it again, he said it was an old fracture that nothing could be done with.

“With the old fracture, the ligament had come off the bone.It was a few years ago when I did it and no-one had noticed.

“I might have done it at Partick because I remember missing a game after I had gone over on my ankle, or at Dundee when I missed another game.

“It’s just one of those things when you go over on your ankle and you just think it is sore. It’s pretty much it (that I had a broken ankle for about four years).

“Seriously, I can’t speak highly enough of the physios for getting me back and getting me ready again. They knew exactly what they were doing.

“They worked on it and worked on it and, after a week and a half, the swelling was down and I could do a bit on it. It was good to be able to play so early. The physio said I could train on Sunday and I did and again on Monday. I’m happy because I just wanted back as soon as possible and the Dundee match came at the perfect time.”

Kilmarnock travel to Hibernian in the next round but before that they have have a Scottish Communities League Cup semi-final against rivals Ayr United at Hampden at the end of the month. “I’m really looking forward to the occasion at Hampden and being part of it,” said Harkins. “Hopefully, I can be selected and try to do something in the game.”