Thomson closing in on first-team return

Playmaker ‘feeling brilliant’ as he steps up injury comeback

Dunfermline midfielder Joe Thomson insists he feels ‘brilliant’ and has a firstteam return firmly in his sights after finally making his comeback after seven months out.

The former Celtic youngster was sidelined in March after damaging his cruciate knee ligament in a 1-0 defeat to Ayr United.

The 22-year-old played for the first time since then when he completed 45 minutes in the 1-0 defeat against his old club in the Reserve Cup on Tuesday.

And the popular playmaker is convinced he is not far away from a top-team outing after clearing a significant hurdle in his lengthy rehabilitation.

He said: “It was brilliant to get back out there, I was just disappointed with the result. I know that it is only a reserve game but it is never nice to get beat.

“It was good to get 45 minutes under my belt. I felt as if I could have played longer but probably the physios with their sensible heads on made the correct decision, considering how long it has been.

“I think I will play a bit more in my next game and then probably a full game after that. We will wait and see but I felt fit, I felt good.

“It has been a long time, it was good to get back on the pitch again and hopefully it won’t be too long until it’s a first-team game and I am back out there.

“Even just to have the fire in my belly and the feeling of coming to a game. I have missed that a lot. It might only have been a reserve game to some people but I enjoyed it.

“I feel brilliant, no reaction at all. I am surprised, even the rest of my body felt really good. At half-time I was desperate to stay on but it was probably the right decision to come off.

“It will take another week or two. I will possibly play against Dundee United reserves in the next game in a fortnight’s time but I think they are maybe pencilling in a game against a junior team for me next week.

“That would be good and save having to wait an extra week before getting more game time.”

Picture: SNS. Joe Thomson, left, is closing in on return after being missing from first-team action since March.