Hibs keeper Stack back to his best

Hibs goalkeeper Graham Stack has insisted he's not injury prone after finally shaking off the back problem which put him out of action for five months.

Today Stack revealed the injury was a recurrence of the problem which sidelined him for three months last season and, having finally been given a chance by new boss Colin Calderwood, he's determined to grab it.

And the much-travelled goalie disclosed how his latest troubles were the result of a devotion to duty, turning up for training on his day off following the opening game of the season to make up for lost time caused by another injury.

He said: "I'd been given two days off but because I'd had a calf problem two weeks previously and missed three or four days I felt the need to come in to make amends for the days I had missed. It was nothing really, just a bit of movement across the goal but as I planted my foot to push off my back went into a muscular spasm." Given the experiences of last season, Stack admitted his immediate reaction was "here we go again." He said: "It was the last thing I needed, everything that happened last season came flooding back."

A bulging disc was diagnosed with Stack undergoing a course of four weekly injections before beginning the long fight back to full fitness, his rehabilitation hampered by the severe winter weather.

Stack admitted he couldn't complain at being labelled injury prone by some given his medical history in Edinburgh but, he insisted that was far from the case. He told Hibernian TV: "Before I came here I had been injury free for I do not know how long. I know fans will say you are injury prone and I can understand their frustration, you want your players fit. But I can assure you there's no worse place for a player than the physio's room, being in there all day when the rest of the boys are out training."