Rangers star denies career-ending fears

Rangers star Ian Murray insists he never once feared for his career despite being struck down with reactive arthritis.

The 25-year-old utility player was diagnosed with the condition after complaining of pain and tiredness in his arms and legs during the pre-season trip to South Africa.

He has finally put four months of frustration behind him by coming through 90 minutes of a reserves match at Dunfermline yesterday.

Murray has now targeted a return to the first team by Christmas and said he never once doubted he would play again.

“No, not at all,” he told Rangers World. “I didn’t discuss that with the doctors. It didn’t come to that stage.

“Whenever I went to see the specialist he said it would go away.

“He told me it just takes time – it could be tomorrow or it could be a year.

“The doctor did say at the start that it would probably be months rather than weeks, so I was prepared for the time out.”

Describing the symptoms which led to his diagnosis, Murray added: “I just didn’t feel great. As I was running, my legs were a bit more sore and tired than normal.

“The day I went out to train and had to come back in was the sorest it got.

“When I went home that night I felt terrible. I would hardly lift my arms up and my legs were sore.

“It gradually got to a stage where it just stayed constant – it wasn’t getting any worse and it wasn’t getting better.

“A couple of months in, it started to die down a bit.”

Murray has spent the entire season so far watching from the sidelines, meaning he has not had the opportunity to stake a claim for a place in the team since the arrival of new boss Paul Le Guen in the summer.

And he said: “Any time out injured is frustrating but this was even more frustrating because it wasn’t a football-related injury.

“But you just have to get on with it. You can be low or you can be positive.”