DETERMINED Morton striker George Oakley has fallen in love with football again and says he is enjoying the best spell of his career thanks to the Cappielow club.

The 28-year-old Englishman has revealed that he was close to walking away from the game at one point after successive injuries earlier on in his career.

He decided to give it one last go in Scotland and after some ups and downs has flourished with the Ton.

Since making the switch from Inverness to Inverclyde last year he has become a key man in Dougie Imrie's side and netted 11 times in 20 games between November and February and was named Championship player of the month for January.

Oakley told the Tele: "I think that period between November and the end of February not only is the best spell of my career, it's also the most confident I've been in my career too.

"The reason for that is that I've come into the new year like a new person. I was settled in a way that I hadn't been for a long time. I bought a house and I've got a partner up here now as well and you get a different mindset with that aspect of things. It all comes down to things coming together at the right time."

Oakley says that as he has settled down off the field, it has paid dividends out on the park.

He said: "There are some crazy stats being thrown about, like when I didn't play the team either weren't winning or scoring without me. I think they've only scored five times without me in the team this season, which is baffling.

"I think they maybe miss me because of what I can bring to the game, as I can take a bit of pressure off of others. I'd like to think that I help out a lot. I'm not a stats man myself, but when they do get highlighted I think I need to take the confidence from them in knowing that I am an important player for the team, which is nice.

"Everyone has their own career and journey and mine's hasn't been easy at times. But it has all built me into the man I am today. It has been hard, there were times where I was ready to give it all up because it was so tough.

"I just needed a chance and I firmly believe that Morton didn't need me, I needed Morton.

"It's somewhere I've grounded myself and been able to show what I can do. Now I want to repay them for that."

Oakley now wants to eradicate the heartache of last season's play-off near-miss, after Ton missed out on the top four by only goal difference in dramatic circumstances.

The big marksman says he'll do anything within his power to help his side get over the line this time around.

He added: "The main thing for me now at the end of the season is to help the team get to where we want to be. Then I'll be happy. If that's by scoring goals, being a provider or whatever then that's what I'll do.

"I want to make sure to get the team into the play offs. It was nasty that we lost out on goal difference last year. It was a hard one to take and I think this year we've done enough to get there this time around. But we need to make sure that we do enough to make that spot ours."