JAI Quitongo has revealed that he was so desperate to stay on the pitch during Saturday’s Renfrewshire derby that he refused to come off at half-time.

Quitongo felt his hamstring tighten after the first few minutes in Paisley and was short of fitness throughout the entire first half. 

In the end the 20-year-old had to be subbed by manager Jim Duffy 10 minutes into the second half with a hamstring issue.

But Quitongo explained that boss Duffy was ready to bring him off at the break against the risk of aggravating the injury further, before the forward insisted he wanted to give it a go in the second 45.

He told the Tele: “I felt great before the game but obviously I had a tight hamstring against Dundee United a couple of weeks ago. But my rehab was good and I was feeling fine.
“I think it’s just my luck. It was in the first attack and I felt it twinge. 

“I spoke to the gaffer while I was still on the pitch because to start off with I thought it was just a bit of freak cramp.

“It got sorer and I tried to run it off but it prevented me from running and giving 100 per cent. It killed me having to come off the pitch because I was buzzing for the game and I really wanted to play in it.

“The gaffer spoke to me at half-time and said that he didn’t want me to do myself any damage so asked if I wanted to come off. 

“But I wanted to give it the first five or 10 minutes of the second half to see how it was.

“But it’s a shame because I was really looking forward to it.”