MORTON ace Jai Quitongo remembers the conversation with boss Jim Duffy that helped him through his injury anguish last season — and he has vowed to repay his gaffer for believing in him.

Quitongo missed eight months of action after picking up a serious knee injury against Dunfermline in December 2016.

And the 19-year-old admits he felt lost during his spell on the sidelines.

He insists Duffy was instrumental in picking him up and raising his spirits as he made his return to football at the beginning of this season. 

The striker also wanted to thank assistant manager Craig McPherson for his contribution to his comeback.

He told the Tele: “I’ve been out for so long and there’s definitely been a bit of rustiness there. I get a wee bit angry at myself but the manager has said that these things take time and I don’t need to impress. He wants me to go and play how I can play.

“It was a really hard time with the injury and everyone who is close to me, all the boys, they all know it was a hard time. I really struggled with it but I had the right people around me.

"I’ve got to say a big thank-you to Airdrie because they let me go in and rehab there.

"Then there’s Jane Johnston, the Morton physio, who helped me a lot. Everyone came together and kept me mentally strong.

"I had chats with the gaffer and he just said that the hardest part of having a long-term injury like that is the beginning and the end.

"The start because I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel and the end because sometimes I might think I’m ready when I’m not. But everything has come together, I’ve learned to bide my time and worked hard.

"Hopefully I can perform well every week and not let the standards drop.”

He added: “The gaffer has put me in and trusted me and I’m thankful to him and Hagi [McPherson] for that, for having the faith in me. The gaffer’s man management is brilliant. 

“He had a serious knee injury when he was playing so he understands because he’s been through it.”

“He wanted me to keep focus. He would always joke when I’d walk into training that the world was on my shoulders and told me to smile. That’s what I did. I want to pay the gaffer and Hagi back for sticking by me and putting their belief in me.”

Quitongo has a competitive mentality, which made it all the more difficult for him to sit on his hands while he recovered. 
And the youngster admits that at times he could have handled the situation a little better.

But it was the realisation that sulking wouldn’t solve his problems that helped him through his injury — and the fact that he wanted to get back playing with a ‘smile on his face’.

He said: “When my dad [José Quitongo, ex-Hearts midfielder] was 18-years-old he broke his leg. It wasn’t quite as serious but he’s been through the struggle of coming back from a bad injury. 

“Mine was difficult because when I wasn’t in a good mood I was taking it out on other people like my mum and my brother.

“But I got to a stage where I knew there was no point worrying. That it wasn’t going to get any better if I kept worrying. 

“That’s when my head went down and I started working really hard. 

“I was desperate to be back involved at the end of the season last season but it wasn’t meant to be.

“The gaffer told me to work hard over the summer and that’s what I did. I didn’t really expect to start so soon, but the manager thought I was ready.

“I always want to achieve more and do more. Whenever I score one I’ll think to myself ‘well why didn’t I score two?’ 

“I just want to be successful, I want to be a winner. The gaffer tells me off sometimes for it and tells me to relax and play with a smile on my face, hopefully I can keep doing that.”