LETHAL frontman George Oakley has been hailed for his goalscoring exploits by boss Dougie Imrie.

The Cappielow striker was this week announced as Championship Player of the Month for January.

The 28-year-old was given the accolade for five strikes goals during the month, including his stunning perfect hat-trick against Dundee United.

Greenock Telegraph:

The Ton chief says that guiding Oakley’s return to form is exactly why he wanted to become a manager.

He told the Tele: “I’ve known George for a long time, I’ve played with him and I know what he can bring to the party.

“When we first got him here, he was really fragile, he was hurting after his time at Inverness because it hadn’t worked out for him.

“It took a wee while to get him going and lift him up. Even at the start of this season he wasn’t too happy because of the problem with his knee which saw him miss a chunk of the season.

“For him to have come back and played at the level he has, and score at the rate he has, I’m delighted for him, more than anyone.

“There are other people in the dressing room who could probably feel aggrieved for not being mentioned for the award, because they’re all playing at such a high level.

“Robbie Muirhead will probably be disappointed he’s not got it, but what’s probably tipped it is the magnitude of the game that George got his hat-trick in, as opposed to Robbie’s.”