Sam getting close to full fitness again

SAM Stanton believes he’s ready to kick on again and stake a claim to make his place in the Dundee United starting line-up his own.

The early-season form of the midfielder, who’s on a season-long loan from Hibs, suggested he could be in Ray McKinnon’s XI for the whole campaign.

But an inability to train normally because of a bout of tendonitis in his knee eventually took its toll on the 23-year-old and, for the past couple of league outings, he’s had to be content with coming off the bench.

Saturday’s dramatic Irn-Bru Cup win over Linfield, however, saw him get 90 minutes as he turned in a strong performance as one of the “old heads” in a very young team.

Stanton has revealed that having barely been able to train during the week for just a month or so, he’s closing in getting back to a normal workload.

“I’m back training three times a week now when before I was only training once or twice, depending on how I was feeling,” he said.

“Over the last three months I’ve been working with the physios to improve it and it’s now only the one day, usually a Monday after the weekend game, I’m missing training.

“It has been a problem but it’s something I’m working on and, even in the last couple of months, it’s got a lot better. I’ve been given exercise programmes and there are one or two other things I can do to, hopefully, get it away. It’s just one of those niggly things that you sometimes get.

“It definitely helps it’s something I know will go away — that gives me peace of mind and I know I can get rid of it myself.”

A player who just wants to get on and play, that Stanton admits it’s been a problem gives a hint to just how much discomfort he’s been feeling at times.

After his impressive 90 minutes at the weekend, his focus is now on forcing his way back into the starting line-up, though he concedes the team’s recent good form means that will not be easy.

“I had a good start when I came