FORMER Morton favourite Chris Millar is lining up with a new team mate to open a gym in his home town.

The fans' favourite is turning a former unit in the Port Glasgow Industrial Estate into a £100,000 state-of-the-art fitness facility along with best friend and business partner Gary Pettigrew of the Port Juniors.

They will use their sports backgrounds to make the most of the joint venture, offering specialist training for youth football teams as well as their clients.

Port personal trainer and junior footballer Gary says the Fitness Factory will also be raising money for a local welfare charity too.

Chris, who had two spells at Morton as well as a Scottish Cup winning stint at St Johnstone, said: "We are both personal trainers and this is something that we really wanted to do.

"It all started from a conversation at party.

"I had been thinking this was something I wanted to do since qualifying as a personal trainer.

"We are putting everything into it and are completely committed.

"I think we will bring something different with our experiences.

"We are keen to open it up to boys' club and youth football and other sports as well.

"There is so much we have to offer with our backgrounds."

The 38-year-old midfielder spent five years in his first spell with Morton before moving to St Johnstone for a decade.

He returned to play with Morton for another three seasons, helping them stay in the Championship before leaving to join Lowland League side East Kilbride.

Chris qualified as a personal trainer in 2017 and has built up his business since

Co-owner and Port juniors man Gary said the pair's plans had to be put on ice because of the Covid pandemic.

But now they are all set to go, turning the former curtain factory in the industrial park into a place of exercise excellence.

They hope to be open early in the spring.

Gary, 30, who has been a personal trainer for nearly ten years, said: "This is a big operation, we have lots of room and we can expand.

"We can't wait to get started.

"The sessions will be led by us and people are coming for personal training sessions in a gym.

"It is great for people socially as well and we want this to be for the whole community.

"Since starting as a personal trainer helping local charities has been important to me and we are looking at giving a percentage of what we take in to Children in Poverty Inverclyde.

"We will also link up with the charity to give children places here too, as Chris and I want to give back."