Nathan Shaw set to get Morton career going in Ayr return

The 24-year-old midfielder joined Morton on a one-year-deal in the summer, after missing out on the run-in and the opportunity to keep former side Inverness in Scotland's second tier as a result of a hamstring injury picked up in March.

Shaw has had to battle on all fronts to get back on the park (Image: George Munro) And the fomer Caley man opened up on what has been a really tough period for him not only physically but mentally.

His battle to get back in top physical condition was affected by his former club's money troubles which have since seen the Highland side fall into administration.

"The last four or five months in particular have been really tough," he told the Tele.

"We knew that I was supposed to get an operation at Inverness, but that kept on being delayed with everything that was going on, which all adds up and takes a toll.

"I was one of the lucky ones, really, because there have been a few stories that have come out about boys, Aaron Doran being the notable one, not being able to get things sorted up there.

"Duncan Ferguson helped me out a lot with that, to be fair. It's a shame what's happened up there because there's nice people at the club, but personally I'm just happy to get everything sorted.

"He played a big role in helping me get the club to pay for the operation, eventually, but it was the same with all the boys - he tried his best for all of them. Whether they ended up getting sorted or not, he always had our backs."

Shaw looked to kick off a new chapter when signing for the club back in July (Image: GMFC) Shaw penned his deal at Morton a few weeks before being able to feature for Dougie Imrie's squad - but disaster struck as his hamstring broke down, with a separate issue, just as he was about to get into contention for selection.

And despite admitting how frustrating the whole scenario has been for him, Shaw says he's determined to repay the patience shown towards him over the last few months.

"During my rehab I've suffered a setback which was a massive blow for me," he added.

"It was really hard. There was nothing the club or myself could've done really. We'd ticked all the right boxes and had done everything correctly.

"I was so close to getting back to playing, and then I was put right back to square one. So it's been really tough over the last couple of months. But I'm hoping now that that's the bad times over.

"When you sign for a new club you want to be involved and making an impact right from the off.

"I've not been able to do that. I've had to do a fair bit of waiting, so I'm really looking forward to getting back out on the pitch.

"The whole scenario has been frustrating for everyone which is understandable. Everyone's had to be patient.

"So I'm hoping that I can repay them for that with performances on the pitch and produce when it matters."

Shaw could return to action this weekend (Image: George Munro)

There now appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the former Blackpool trainee, who is hoping to return to action when Ton go head to head with the Honest Men on Friday night.

And he says that it'll be an emotional moment for him after such a battle to get back into contention.

He continued: "If all goes well between now and Friday then I should be involved, and I'll be honest, I'm really looking forward too it.

"It'll be a bit of an achievement for me really, to get over the injury and to get back playing. I've been out for a while now.

"That'll mean it'll take me a while to get back up to full match fitness, but I'm looking forward to getting back involved.

"We'll have to build it up slowly, managing minutes and things like that, but I'm just glad to be able to get back in and help the gaffer, because we're down to the bare bones at the minute.