FOUAD Bachirou has thanked Morton fans for their messages of support over the summer - and admits the flood of correspondence helped convince him to sign a new deal.

The 21-year-old Frenchman was inundated with messages on social networking websites Facebook and Twitter urging him to stay at Cappielow after revealing he was homesick and considering his future at the end of last season.

And while conversations with his family and Allan Moore were the primary reasons behind his decision sign a new deal, he insists the support of the fans was a significant factor too.

The player - nicknamed Fred by Ton fans and team-mates - told the Tele: "I spoke with my family, with my young brother and my mother - and they said I should come back for another year.

"I like working with the gaffer. I have a lot of respect for him, and he asked me to stay, so I decided to stay for him too.

"I also decided to stay for the supporters. Lots of supporters sent me messages on Twitter and Facebook, and I really appreciated that.

"I want to thank them very much for their support. To be honest, it also helped me change my mind because I'd never experienced anything like that in my career before.

"I will still miss my family, but I will miss them everywhere I will go to play football. I am a professional, so I will just have to live with that as I want to have a career in football.

"But it will also be easier this year because they will be able to come and visit me more often.

"Last season, they couldn't find the right moment to come to Scotland, but I will see them more this season and this will mean I won't miss them as much." The former Paris Saint-Germain youth returned home to France for the close season to spend time with his family and friends.

He returned in time for the start of pre-season on 20 June, but has been unable to participate fully due to a broken toe, an injury which forced him to watch Tuesday's friendly with Motherwell from the stands.

He explained: "I've got a broken toe and that is why I didn't play against Motherwell. I broke the same toe two years ago in a game, and I broke it again on holiday when a table fell on it.

"It is very uncomfortable when I kick the ball, but it should okay and I think I will be back in training this week.

"I'm not sure if I will play against Walsall on Wednesday. I will have to see how it feels then and speak with the gaffer to make a decision."