JIM McAlister admits he feels ‘like a wee kid again’ after sealing his Morton comeback on Wednesday.

The Greenock-born midfielder  has returned to Cappielow after spells at Hamilton, Dundee and Blackpool, penning a one-year deal.

The 32-year-old, who spent seven-and-a-half seasons with the Inverclyde side from 2002-10, became new manager Ray McKinnon’s fourth summer signing.

After exclusively revealing to the Tele he wanted to return to the Ton last month, a delighted McAlister was overjoyed to seal the deal.

He told the Tele: “I feel like a wee kid again if that’s possible at 32. That’s the way I feel again.

“I always said when I left I had seven-and-a-half good years here. 

“I played over 300 games in all competitions, and it gave me a good grounding.

“I’m excited to get going and it’s a fresh challenge as well. The club seems to be ambitious again and we can hopefully provide that ambition on the field.”

McAlister becomes the ninth senior player on the books at Cappielow, with the Ton opening their season away to Ayr United in the League Cup on July 14.

While there is still work to be done as McKinnon continues to build his squad, McAlister has been impressed with the quality of the signings made by the manager so far, and says they were another factor in him returning to Morton.

He added: “That’s certainly an attraction as well, when you see the club delivering that kind of ambition that they spoke about when I first came in and met the manager.

“Obviously I know Midgey [Chris Millar] very well, we played for five years together before he left for St Johnstone.

“You see the rise of Charlie [Telfer] through the ranks at Rangers, and featuring in the Dundee United first team, and the centre-half Gregor [Buchanan] getting two promotions last season.

“The manager said he wanted a spine of winners through his team and he’s started off not too badly in this window anyway.

“I’m sure a few more will start to follow on, and the squad will begin to take shape nicely. I’m looking forward to get started.”

McAlister is keen to get more games under his belt this season, after making only two competitive outings last term for Blackpool.

After suffering two serious injuries, firstly breaking his leg in February 2017, and then after making his comeback earlier this year sustaining injury in the same place, with severe bone bruising, McAlister missed a large chunk of the second half of the 2018 campaign.

He’s now keen to prove any doubters wrong about his injury, as well as returning to Morton in his later playing years.

He said: “The injury I’ve got over is the first serious injury I’ve had in my career, and to get through to 31 without missing many games is not bad going, and hopefully that’s the first and last one for me.

“I know some folk will say me and Midgey are coming back here because we’re over 30, but that’s absolute nonsense.

"The drive is in both of us. We’ve both done well since we left.

"Midgey’s won the Scottish Cup, I’ve won the Championship with Dundee and got promoted with Blackpool down south as well.

“We’ve got that experience behind us and that will hopefully rub off on the younger players in the squad.”