Jai: It was great to be back out on the pitch

Jai Quitongo says he is excited to be back involved out on the pitch again and desperate to get more game time as he continues on the road to a full recovery.

The 19-year-old striker had been sidelined for seven months after undergoing knee surgery at the turn of the year but made his comeback on Tuesday with a sub outing in a bounce game against Ayr United at Parklea.

And Quitongo, who could take another significant step on his journey back to the first-team with a run-out at Turriff tomorrow, was on a real high after ending his injury-enforced exile.

Speaking exclusively to gmfc.net, the Scotland Under-21 cap said: “It felt good to be back. And I’m excited because I’ve put the work in for the past seven months.

“I know it down to the day, honestly. I’ve been counting down because I’ve been itching to come back. Obviously at the end of last season I was desperate to be out there and part of it.

“I actually thought I was going to play a couple of weeks back but I had a wee reaction in training, nothing serious, just something that’s part of parcel when you’ve had a knee injury.

“The manager has been great and has taken care of me. It could have been another manager rushing me back, shoving me in at the deep end straight away.

“I’m excited to get back involved now. I don’t have any nerves about it, because if it [the injury] happened again, it happened again – you couldn’t change that.

“When I was on the pitch I felt good; it was good to get a run out. I was blowing – I’m usually fitter, but that comes with match fitness and playing more games.

“I had a wee chance to score [against Ayr] and was disappiointed I never took it. I’ve not played in ages, so there was a wee bit of rustiness, but that goes away with matches.

“I just want to keep getting more game time as the weeks go on, get more minutes under my belt, and eventually build up to being ready to start a match.”

Image: Gary Bradley