Livingston defender Tom Parkes is desperate to get back on the pitch after finally recovering from a horror knee problem that has kept him sidelined for 17 months.
The 31-year-old Englishman has not played since December 2021 after damaging his anterior cruciate ligament and then suffering a setback just as he was closing in on a return to action last summer.
Parkes was on the bench for the Lions’ last outing against Dundee United a fortnight ago, but manager David Martindale has said he is wary of throwing him into action after so long out without a pre-season under his belt.
The centre-back is delighted to be back in the mix and is eager to get himself some game time after managing just 11 appearances for the Lions since joining from Exeter almost two years ago.
“It’s been a long time but I’ve worked hard to get where I am now and I’m feeling good,” he said. “Just being on the bench against Dundee United was amazing but my main priority is to get up to the standards that other boys are at and try and take it into next season.
“I don’t think people have seen enough of me to see what kind of player I can be, so being back among the lads and training with them every day is a big step. Hopefully it stays this way and I can try and get back on the pitch and show people what I can do.”
After fighting back to fitness last summer and taking part in pre-season training, Parkes was gutted when he suffered a setback and had to undergo a second knee operation that wrecked his hopes of getting back on track in the current campaign.
“It was tough, especially after the second operation,” he said of his lengthy lay-off. “I had to spend nearly 12 weeks sat at home. I couldn’t walk, I was on crutches, and I didn’t really want to do anything.
“But once that was out the way and I was able to come in and be around the lads and all the staff, it helped me massively.
“The main thing when I came back is that I was ready to come back and enjoy it. It’s been a long time but I’m just looking forward to getting game time.”
Parkes is set to be on the bench again when Livi return to action for their first post-split fixture away to bottom-of-the-table Ross County on Saturday after missing out on the top six.
“It was disappointing to miss out on the top six but our aim now is to finish seventh, like we did last season,” he said. “After Christmas we’ve not played as well as we did before, so that’s probably where it’s gone wrong.
“We’ve still done better on points this season than we did last season so it’s hard to take that we didn’t make the top six. As disappointing as it is, we’ve got to make sure we finish the season on a high.”
Rangers 4-1 Kilmarnock: Gers come from behind to keep pressure on Celtic
Rangers came from behind to beat 10-man Kilmarnock 4-1 at Ibrox on Sunday to keep the pressure on Scottish Premiership title rivals Celtic.
After Celtic thumped Hearts 3-0 on Saturday, it looked like the Bhoys' title charge could receive a further boost when James Tavernier put through his own net with 12 minutes gone at Ibrox after Liam Polworth's cross was nudged back across goal by Matty Kennedy.
However, Kilmarnock's Joe Wright was sent off for handling Dujon Sterling's goalbound effort shortly after, and though Tavernier's resulting spot-kick was brilliantly saved by Will Dennis, Rangers did get themselves back on level terms deep into first-half stoppage time as Fabio Silva turned home John Lundstram's cross.
Ben Davies then bundled the hosts into the lead with 62 minutes on the clock after Dennis fumbled Lundstram's long-range effort into the defender's path, before substitute Tom Lawrence extended Rangers' lead with a delightful strike from outside the box.
John Souttar sealed the win in the dying seconds with a close-range header, moving Rangers three points behind Celtic ahead of the crucial Old Firm next Saturday.
Celtic 3-0 Hearts: Kyogo sends hosts six points clear of Rangers
Kyogo Furuhashi scored twice in the first half as Celtic defeated Hearts 3-0 on Saturday to move six points clear of rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership title race.
Rangers host Kilmarnock on Sunday for their game in hand, but Celtic, who also have a better goal difference, remain in control of the title race as things stand.
Celtic will then host Rangers in next week's pivotal Old Firm derby.
Lawrence Shankland almost gave Hearts a dream start when his effort deflected just wide in the opening minute, but from that point on, despite some strong spells of play in the opening half, they never looked likely to record what would have been their third consecutive win over Celtic.
Kyogo had Celtic two goals up inside 21 minutes in a hammer blow to Hearts, who are all but certain to finish in third place this season.
A Matt O'Riley penalty three minutes from time ended any faint hopes of a Hearts comeback, sealing a result that puts further pressure on Rangers.
Data Debrief: O'Riley key to Celtic success
Kyogo's early header was set up by Reo Hatate, while it was O'Riley who set up the second goal with a superb pass that the Japan international met with a first-time finish.
O'Riley, who later added his penalty, now has 14 goals and 12 assists in the Premiership this season. His goal tally is the highest of any Celtic player, while the creative total is the best in the whole league.
Dundee 1-2 Celtic: Forrest brace restores Hoops' three-point lead at SPL summit
James Forrest scored twice as Celtic regained their three-point cushion at the Scottish Premiership summit with a narrow 2-1 victory over Dundee.
Rangers had applied the pressure earlier in the day with a 2-1 win at St Mirren, moving Philippe Clement's side level on points with the Hoops.
Although, Celtic did not twitch with Forrest volleying them ahead on the half-hour mark, before doubling their lead in the 67th minute.
Antonio Portales pulled a goal back for Dundee seven minutes later with his first league strike of the season, but the visitors held on to pull clear at the top once more with five games remaining.
Data debrief
Returning to the starting line-up today, Forrest's double separated the sides as he found the net more than once in a game for the first time since scoring a hat-trick against Hibernian in October 2022.
Celtic have now won their last 10 league matches against Dundee and are unbeaten in 43 meetings overall since a 2-0 defeat in May 2001, only enjoying a longer such streak against Dumbarton (50).
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