Docherty seeks new challenge with new shoe size
Departing Dundee United captain Ross Docherty is ready to prove his Premiership pedigree once again and hopes advice from a podiatrist has put an end to recent injury problems.
The 32-year-old helped the Tannadice team finish fourth on their return to the top flight but made just 14 league starts.
The former Ayr United and Partick Thistle midfielder, who led United to the Championship title in the previous campaign, missed most of October, November and March due to various niggles.
"It's obviously frustrating and I can totally understand why everyone else was frustrated as well," he said.
"But I want to put it out there that I was trying my best and doing a lot off the pitch to try and get myself right. It was only in the last few months that we managed to get to the bottom of a few things and get that run of games."
One of the unexpected remedies came when a podiatrist advised him to get his feet remeasured.
"Long story short, I was wearing shoes that were a bit too small and it was kind of killing my calves and hamstrings and stuff like that," explained Docherty.
"We ended up getting the right size of shoe for a start, but also got custom made in-soles. So we managed to get to the bottom of it but maybe a bit too late.
"I'm a wee bit ashamed to tell that story to be honest but, touch wood, that was what was affecting me for so long and I think especially from the last month or two, it's the best I've felt since I've been at United and it gives me that confidence to go and put it right somewhere else by playing and proving myself again.
"I'd love to stay in the top flight but I'll explore any option that's put in front of me."
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1925 Suzanne Lenglen, France 1926 Suzanne Lenglen, France 1927 Kea Bouman, Netherlands 1928 Helen Wills, United States 1929 Helen Wills, United States 1930 Helen Wills Moody, United States 1931 Cilly Aussem, Germany 1932 Helen Wills Moody, United States 1933 Margaret Scriven, Britain 1934 Margaret Scriven, Britain 1935 Hilda Krahwinkel Sperling, Germany 1936 Hilda Krahwinkel Sperling, Germany 1937 Hilda Krahwinkel Sperling, Germany 1938 Simone Passemard Mathieu, France 1939 Simone Passemard Mathieu, France 1940-45 No tournament 1946 Margaret Osborne, United States 1947 Pat Canning Todd, United States 1948 Nelly Adamson Landry, France 1949 Margaret Osborne duPont, United States 1950 Doris Hart, United States 1951 Shirley Fry, United States 1952 Doris Hart, United States 1953 Maureen Connolly, United States 1954 Maureen Connolly, United States 1955 Angela Mortimer, United States 1956 Althea Gibson, United States 1957 Shirley Bloomer, Britain 1958 Suzi Kormoczi, Hungary 1959 Christine Truman, Britain 1960 Darlene Hard, United States 1961 Ann Haydon, Britain 1962 Margaret Smith, Australia 1963 Lesley Turner, Australia 1964 Margaret Smith, Australia 1965 Lesley Turner, Australia 1966 Ann Haydon Jones, Britain 1967 Francoise Durr, France 1968 Nancy Richey, United States 1969 Margaret Smith Court, Australia 1970 Margaret Smith Court, Australia 1971 Evonne Goolagong, Australia 1972 Billie Jean King, United States 1973 Margaret Smith Court, Australia 1974 Chris Evert, United States 1975 Chris Evert, United States 1976 Sue Barker, Britain 1977 Mima Jausovec, Yugoslavia 1978 Virginia Ruzici, Romania 1979 Chris Evert Lloyd, United States 1980 Chris Evert Lloyd, United States 1981 Hana Mandlikova, Czechoslovakia 1982 Martina Navratilova, United States 1983 Chris Evert Lloyd, United States 1984 Martina Navratilova, United States 1985 Chris Evert Lloyd, United States 1986 Chris Evert Lloyd, United States 1987 Steffi Graf, West Germany 1988 Steffi Graf, West Germany 1989 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Spain 1990 Monica Seles, Yugoslavia 1991 Monica Seles, Yugoslavia 1992 Monica Seles, Yugoslavia 1993 Steffi Graf, Germany 1994 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Spain 1995 Steffi Graf, Germany 1996 Steffi Graf, Germany 1997 Iva Majoli, Croatia 1998 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Spain 1999 Steffi Graf, Germany 2000 Mary Pierce, France 2001 Jennifer Capriati, United States 2002 Serena Williams, United States 2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium 2004 Anastasia Myskina, Russia 2005 Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium 2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium 2007 Justine Henin, Belgium 2008 Ana Ivanovic, Serbia 2009 Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia 2010 Francesca Schiavone, Italy 2011 Li Na, China 2012 Maria Sharapova, Russia 2013 Serena Williams, United States 2014 Maria Sharapova, Russia 2015 Serena Williams, United States 2016 Garbine Muguruza, Spain 2017 Jelena Ostapenko, Latvia 2018 Simona Halep, Romania 2019 Ash Barty, Australia 2020 Iga Swiatek, Poland 2021 Barbora Krejcikova, Czech Republic 2022 Iga Swiatek, Poland 2023 Iga Swiatek, Poland 2024 Iga Swiatek, Poland 2025 Coco Gauff, United States NOTE: Before 1925, the French Open was restricted to French players.
