Livingston defender Tom Parkes is desperate to get back on the pitch after finally recovering from a horror knee problem that has kept him sidelined for 17 months.
The 31-year-old Englishman has not played since December 2021 after damaging his anterior cruciate ligament and then suffering a setback just as he was closing in on a return to action last summer.
Parkes was on the bench for the Lions’ last outing against Dundee United a fortnight ago, but manager David Martindale has said he is wary of throwing him into action after so long out without a pre-season under his belt.
The centre-back is delighted to be back in the mix and is eager to get himself some game time after managing just 11 appearances for the Lions since joining from Exeter almost two years ago.
“It’s been a long time but I’ve worked hard to get where I am now and I’m feeling good,” he said. “Just being on the bench against Dundee United was amazing but my main priority is to get up to the standards that other boys are at and try and take it into next season.
“I don’t think people have seen enough of me to see what kind of player I can be, so being back among the lads and training with them every day is a big step. Hopefully it stays this way and I can try and get back on the pitch and show people what I can do.”
After fighting back to fitness last summer and taking part in pre-season training, Parkes was gutted when he suffered a setback and had to undergo a second knee operation that wrecked his hopes of getting back on track in the current campaign.
“It was tough, especially after the second operation,” he said of his lengthy lay-off. “I had to spend nearly 12 weeks sat at home. I couldn’t walk, I was on crutches, and I didn’t really want to do anything.
“But once that was out the way and I was able to come in and be around the lads and all the staff, it helped me massively.
“The main thing when I came back is that I was ready to come back and enjoy it. It’s been a long time but I’m just looking forward to getting game time.”
Parkes is set to be on the bench again when Livi return to action for their first post-split fixture away to bottom-of-the-table Ross County on Saturday after missing out on the top six.
“It was disappointing to miss out on the top six but our aim now is to finish seventh, like we did last season,” he said. “After Christmas we’ve not played as well as we did before, so that’s probably where it’s gone wrong.
“We’ve still done better on points this season than we did last season so it’s hard to take that we didn’t make the top six. As disappointing as it is, we’ve got to make sure we finish the season on a high.”
Standard set for Clement as Rangers tee up Old Firm final clash
Phillipe Clement said Rangers' performance against Motherwell must serve as a reference for the rest of their season after they teed up a Scottish League Cup final clash with Celtic.
Rangers fought back for a 2-1 victory on Sunday, with Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami on target one day after Celtic trounced Aberdeen 6-0 in the first semi-final.
Dessers converted Connor Barron's cross to level things up in the 49th minute, then Bajrami saw his strike deflect home nine minutes from time to ease the pressure on Clement.
The Gers have endured a difficult Premiership season to date and trail rivals Celtic, who they will face in the League Cup final on December 15, by nine points in the table.
Clement, however, believes they can achieve big things if they replicate the performance they produced at Hampden Park on a regular basis.
"We can go where we want to be, which is the final," he told Premier Sports.
"We had that amazing feeling together with the fans last season and we can battle for that again.
"This needs to be also a reference game for this squad, for this new squad.
"To do what we've been doing a lot last season, to dig in and in every situation to keep our belief, to keep on going, to keep on fighting and to break the wall if we go behind...
"This can be a massive game at the end of the season to have this one as a reference. I want to see, every three days, this mentality."
Aberdeen deliver statement win over Rangers to keep pace with Celtic
Shayden Morris' winner helped Aberdeen defeat Rangers 2-1 to maintain their unbeaten run and stay level on points with Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
The hosts took the lead through Nicky Devlin after 31 minutes at the Pittodrie Stadium before Nedim Bajrami's individual brilliance saw Rangers back on level terms 18 minutes into the second half.
Celebrations soon resumed in Aberdeen as substitute Morris crashed in the winner 11 minutes later.
Victory sees Jimmy Thelin's side move nine points clear of Rangers, who sit in third, as they remain level on 28 points with Celtic, only behind on goal difference.
Celtic continued to add to that superior goal difference with a 2-0 win over Dundee at Celtic Park.
Two goals inside 10 minutes in the second half from Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels gave them a routine victory to keep them unbeaten at the top of the table.
Celtic return to Premiership summit, Rangers edge past St Mirren
Celtic returned to the top of the Scottish Premiership table with a routine 3-0 victory at Motherwell, putting them back above Aberdeen on goal difference.
Brendan Rodgers' Bhoys had been knocked off the summit by the Dons' 1-0 win over Dundee United on Saturday, but they responded by easing to their eighth victory in nine games at Fir Park.
Luke McCowan steered in the opener on his first Celtic start, after Lennon Miller had twice struck the woodwork in the early stages.
Stand-in captain Alistair Johnston then ghosted in to score their second at the back post shortly before the hour mark, with Adam Idah adding a third before Motherwall's Liam Gordon was sent off in stoppage time.
That result piled the pressure on Rangers, who could have ended the weekend nine points adrift of the top two, but they claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over St Mirren at Ibrox to stay within six.
Mohamed Diomande's powerful close-range finish put the Gers ahead, but Alex Gogic rose to nod in a St Mirren equaliser midway through the first half.
Vaclav Cerny spared their blushes, though, as he scored the winner following good work from Cyriel Dessers in the 69th minute.
Rangers go to second-placed Aberdeen, who are yet to lose this season, for a huge fixture in the title race on Wednesday.
In Sunday's other Premiership game, teenager James Wilson struck three minutes from time to rescue a point for Hearts in a 1-1 Edinburgh Derby draw at Hibernian.
Mykola Kuharevich had put Hibs ahead on the rebound after Marvin Ekpiteta headed against the crossbar just after the hour mark, but Wilson got the final touch to divert James Penrice's long throw home with stoppage time looming.
The result keeps Hibs rooted to the foot of the table with six points, though they are only behind 11th-placed Hearts on goal difference and still have a game in hand to come.
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