LEWIS FIT AND DESPERATE TO KICK ON NOW
SCOTLAND Under-21s star Lewis Fiorini is ready to kickstart his career after admitting injuries have stalled his progress.
The Manchester City youngster netted in midweek as Scot Gemmil’s young Scots took another step towards Euro 2025.
The 21-year-old was so highly regarded by the English and European champions they handed him a five-year deal which still has two years to run.
He’s now on his fourth loan spell – joining League One side Charlton in January to link up with manager Michael Appleton for a third time.
But a promising loan spell at Blackpool ended last season because of a hamstring injury and he then suffered an ankle ligament injury at City at the start of this season.
To compound matters, Charlton sacked Appleton – whom Fiorini had also worked with at Lincoln and Blackpool – just weeks into his loan spell.
And Fiorini said: “It was a really nice moment to score for Scotland because it has been a really difficult period for me with injuries.
“Going out on loan, things haven’t quite gone to plan. But it was nice to remind people what I can do again.
“Football comes with challenges and in my short career so far I’ve had a lot of different experiences to face. All I can do is keep trying to perform when I get the opportunities. I’ll see where that takes me.
“Now it’s about keeping fit and training every day.
“I need to keep that confidence up, even when I’m not playing.
“I know when I do play that I can affect games. Hopefully I get the chance to do that in the rest of the season for Charlton.
“The last 18 months have been so stop-start. When I did play for Blackpool I thought I did well but then I missed big periods through injury.
“Then getting injured in pre-season at City, on the back of a long one already, was the last thing I wanted.
“But I’m fit and healthy now and enjoying my football again.”
Fiorini has not given up hope of making an impact with Pep Guardiola’s side.
He added: “I’ll get to the summer and see what the future holds. You can never give up. Things obviously haven’t gone to plan in more recent times but in football you never know what’s around the corner.
“They keep in touch with my loan clubs and make sure I’m in a good head space. They’re taking care of me and that’s definitely appreciated.”
Scotland are joint top now with Spain, although they have played a match more, with only four games to go in their group.
They have to play group minnows Malta and Kazakhstan away and face home ties with Spain and Belgium later this year.
Fiorini said: “For this bunch of lads it would be great to make that history.
“We’ve given ourselves a great chance now. There’s great talent at this level and hopefully we can go on and make history.”