RABIN Omar believes that making the step up to full-time football with Morton has been his toughest challenge - but insists it's the most rewarding experience of his career.

The 23-year-old versatile midfielder swapped Borough Briggs in League Two for Championship football at Cappielow in the summer under David Hopkin and he hasn’t looked back since.

Omar admits that it has been a bigger step up than he anticipated but says that he is living the dream after his positive start to life in Greenock.

He told the Tele: “I think my time here at Morton has been brilliant so far, I’ve really enjoyed myself.

“It’s been a lot tougher than I’d originally expected in terms of the amount of work you need to put into things like recovery and the impact it has on your body - but it’s been nothing short of brilliant.

“The step up to full-time football has been one of the toughest challenges of my career, I’d say that this has been the hardest season of my career so far in terms of getting myself up to speed.

“I don’t think it would necessarily be a matter of fitness, but a matter of recovery.

“We obviously train every day and you can sometimes play up to three games in a week like the other week there with the Betfred Cup games.

“Baring in mind, we’re still coming off the back of a lockdown it has been really tough on the body, it’s not something that I’ve ever experienced before.

“Now I feel as if my body is starting to adapt to it well and I’m able to cope with it better than I was previously.

“That’s maybe why I’m starting to find my feet more and starting to get more minutes.

“I was quite lucky at the time of becoming full-time because I was able to join up with the team after lockdown.

“The lockdown brought everyone down to a similar level in terms of fitness, so that way it was easier for me to slot in and get myself up to speed at a similar time to the rest of the team.

“However, I think if I'd have come in during any other season, the team would’ve been miles ahead of me. I’ve been quite lucky in that aspect.

“The gaffer's training is tough, there’s no doubt about that but it prepares you both physically and mentally for whatever is going to be thrown at you during a season.

“Everyone has to do it and it brings the team together and gives us a unity going forward which is brilliant.

“To be thrown in from the start against Queen of the South was a real big confidence booster for me but again, I think the gaffer was just trying to get a look at everyone and see what systems suited the players best.

“It was obviously a big step up and there were a few nerves there, but I think I did alright.”

Omar is adamant that Morton fans have still to see him reach his peak this season as he continues to find his feet in the Championship.

He added: “I’d definitely say that the best is yet to come and I know that I can only get better as time goes on.

“The more that I adapt to playing full-time and learn under the gaffer, the better for me.

“I’ll become more confident and comfortable and hopefully that means that I can play more minutes in the 11.

“I think the more that I build up that self-belief that I deserve to be playing at this level and that there isn’t anything overly special in the league, I could really kick on and help the team to try and achieve something this season.”