Thistle start the rebuilding job by snapping up O’Ware

PARTICK THISTLE have made Morton captain Thomas O’Ware their first summer signing on a twoyear deal as they rebuild for life in the Championship.

O’Ware brought an end to his seven-year spell at Cappielow when he rejected the option of fresh terms with the Greenock club at the end of the season.

Having criticised Morton’s decision to sack manager Jim Duffy in April, the 25-year-old defender has decided his future now lies with Thistle.

O’Ware scored 26 goals in 208 appearances for Morton and was selected in each of the last two seasons for the Championship PFA Scotland team of the season. He is now looking forward to the challenge of a promotion push with Alan Archibald’s side next term.

He said: ‘I’m pleased to join Partick Thistle and I’m glad it was a fairly straightforward process.

‘When my agent let me know they were interested, the gaffer (Archibald) phoned me and let me know what their plan was. It was a pretty simple decision from there.

‘It is about focusing on getting back to the Premiership — that’s the only target we can set.

‘With the manager and the team we’re building, it is definitely achievable.’

Thistle announced the departure of 19 players in the wake of relegation following their play-off defeat to Livingston, with a further three — Adam Barton, Niall Keown and Miles Storey — made available for transfer.

However, O’Ware is the first fresh face in the major rebuilding process Archibald faces this summer.