MORTON gaffer Gus MacPherson believes that his persistence in persuading Jack Hamilton to swap Tayside for Greenock has paid off after his heroics between the sticks this season.

The Ton manager feels lucky to have the former Scotland Under-21 cap as his undisputed number one this season.

MacPherson believes Hamilton's performances stem from enjoying his football again after the 27-year-old fell down the pecking order at Dundee last season.

The Morton boss has praised the former Hearts kid for his consistency after his stand-out displays so far this season and believes his peak years are still to come.

He told the Tele: “We’re very lucky to have Jack, that can't be forgotten.

“We had to be very patient in how we got him and we managed to convince him to come to the club.

“We’ve allowed him to come in and get that enjoyment back into his game that has allowed him to stand out.

“He’s certainly got the qualities for a goalkeeper that the top teams look for.

“He’s probably not even at the peak of his career yet, that’s still to come.

“Jack’s still got a couple of years to be considered in his peak as a goalkeeper, so it’s all certainly looking good for him.

“He has been very consistent, that’s the one thing that even he would’ve been looking for when he first came into the club.

“He’d have been looking for regular first-team action to get that consistency back into his game and he’s certainly done that.

“He’s trusted and reliable and that’s what you look to bring in in every department.

“Whether that be your goalkeeper, centre-backs, full-back, striker, every position.

"You’re not going to play a 10/10 performance every week but if you can play with a level of consistency of performance then you can become a vital part of any team and Jack has certainly done that for us so far.

“He’s enjoying his time here at the club and an important factor of that is that he’s the number one here and getting game time.

MacPherson believes that Hamilton’s consistency has come down to the close bond formed between the shot-stopper and the club’s head of goalkeeping David Scott.

Scott joined the club in the summer for his first full-time coaching role and MacPherson has been impressed with the impact the pair have made.

The Ton boss said: “He likes working with David and he’s enjoying working with the group of players that we have here too.

“This is David's first time as a full-time goalkeeping coach and he’s been brilliant since he stepped into the club.

“The most important thing is establishing that relationship and making sure it’s a trusting one.

“The good thing is that with David’s ideas and with it being his first opportunity, being so full of ideas, he couldn’t ask for a better pupil in Jack.

“He’s worked at a good level, he’s a model professional and he’s been receptive to David’s ideas.

“It’s been a very good working relationship for the two of them and we’re seeing the benefits of that now."