Crocked Partick Thistle goalie Scott Fox eyes return

Scott Fox has bounced back from a second ankle injury and has targeted a return to the Scotland squad.

The Partick Thistle goalie endured a frustrating spell during the second half of last season when he lost his place to veteran Paul Gallagher.

He was given the gloves for the Jags’ last game of the season, but feared the worst when he had to go off at half-time after colliding with an opponent.

“The way the guy landed on my ankle did my ligaments and tendons,” said Scott. “It was the same ankle as the previous one, but a different injury.

“When I first did it, I thought I was going to be in a cast. That would have been a problem for holidays but it didn’t turn out to be too bad.

“I was only injured for a couple of games when I hurt it the first time, but Paul was playing well by that point.

“The end of the season was my chance to get back in then that happened. I now have to make my case in pre-season to start as No. 1 again.

“It’s important that I am playing week in, week out and maintain the level that I found in the first half of the season if I want to get recognised by Scotland again.

“The last three months or so was quite tough, just sitting watching and waiting for your chance.

“We were fighting to avoid the play-offs and in the last six or seven games, I was a nervous wreck. It was the most nervous I’d ever been watching games.

“But I can hardly deny Paul his opportunity, given some of his performances. We might not have stayed up without him.”

Fox is quick to pay tribute to the way Firhill boss Alan Archibald handled the anxiety swirling around the club as they battled against the drop.

The 26-year-old went on: “He never lost his composure at any time. There were certain times, when the result went the wrong way or we got a doing, that we expected him to go through us.

“But he just spoke to us, put his points across, but not in an angry or aggressive manner. He treats us like adults and gets a lot of respect back from the dressing-room.

“That’s the modern manager. Jackie McNamara has roughly the same style. The days of the teacups and boiling kettles flying seem to be gone!”