RETAINED Morton defender Ricki Lamie is determined to have a real crack at the Championship next season after signing a new one-year contract at Cappielow.

The 22-year-old made an impressive start to the Championship campaign as a regular at centre-half but suffered a back injury and then a hamstring tear that ruled him out for eight matches.

He failed to find the consistency levels of the opening months following his return to full fitness and almost went out on loan after struggling to win back his place in the starting line-up. Although Lamie felt the campaign was a positive one for the club, he is hoping next year will see him experience an upturn in fortunes on a personal level after penning his new deal.

He told the Tele: “It was an up and down season for myself in terms of being in contention and being injured and that kind of tarred a good season for the club and team a wee bit personally speaking.

“When you’re out for two or three months, it’s hard to train for three or four weeks and snap your fingers and just be right back where you left off.

“It’s a catch-22 because you’ve not got four or five games in the middle of a tough season to break you back in and find your feet again.

“It’s just not possible, so it was frustrating for myself. But I couldn’t be that disheartened because the guys who were playing were doing a decent job.

“I thought I did well enough when I was playing at the start of the season up until I got injured. I’m my own biggest critic but I thought I got off to a flyer.

“When it came to getting a new contract it was a just a matter of whether or not the gaffer deemed that [the early season form] enough for another year.

“If you’ve been injured at all through a season when you’re only on a one-year deal then it plants a seed of doubt in your mind.

“In saying that, the season before I played nearly every game, but you still get to May and think: ‘Am I going to get another offer or am I not?’

“It’s all about whether the gaffer is willing to keep you on. Thankfully, he did and it’s brilliant to have signed a new contract.

“I’ve felt better in the last week or two of the season than at any point since the turn of the year – I’ve felt great in training with no niggles. I also got 90 minutes under my belt in the final match at Falkirk and hopefully it stays that way next season and I get a good crack at it.”

The former Airdrie man says he will put himself through a demanding summer schedule to make sure he is ready to hit the ground running by the time the new campaign kicks off.

He added: “I won’t be treating the summer as a holiday. I’ll go away for a couple of days and chill out, but I’ll need to get myself back to that peak fitness.

“With the recurring problem with my hamstrings, it’s all about strengthening and endurance work to make sure everything is in place when we get back in.

“As I said, I feel as if I’ve been getting there, but in terms of getting back to flying it will need to be a gruelling pre-season and I’ll be doing as much myself as I can before we go back. 

“But I’ll not shy away from anyway of that. I’ll work hard and make sure I’m raring to go for next season.”