Maloney reveals knee agony

Celtic striker Shaun Maloney has revealed how his horrific knee injury left him facing the prospect of learning to walk again like a toddler.

The Hoops starlet saw his season ripped apart in February when he shattered his cruciate ligament in an under-21 game against Partick – just 48 hours before he hoped to be taking part in the UEFA Cup tie against Barcelona.

Maloney is unlikely to be back in action before Christmas and admits the injury left him so weak that even trying to walk left him humiliated.

He told the Daily Record: “You are learning to walk again at the outset and it leaves you with a feeling of disorientation, like a child who hasn’t fully graduated from the crawling stage.

“I had no confidence in my left leg and I was afraid to exert what I felt was undue pressure on the knee after I had been to America for my operation.

“I started to walk so awkwardly, I was embarrassed to let people see me without crutches.

“Walking upstairs terrified me and my confidence was shot to pieces because I was so conscious of the weaknesses in my leg.

“But the physio was on to me and Celtic’s sports scientist, Kenny McMillan, was there to support me.”