Striker Rhys hopes first league goal will trigger turnround

EYE ON THE BALL: Rhys Turner is focused on having a clear run for Athletic after his injury nightmare.

AFTER battling through a host of injury problems, Rhys Turner is finally able to play with a smile on his face.

The £20,000 arrival from Stockport has seen his transition to the professional game run anything but smoothly. In the 14 months since he signed, four separate hamstring tears have resulted in the former Myerscough College pupil (19) suffering from setbacks each time he has threatened to make an impact on first-team affairs.

The Preston-born player had hit the net only once for Athletic before the visit of MK Dons on Tuesday night. That was in a penalty shoot-out in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy victory over Barnsley back in October.

But his cool, low finish towards the end of the Dons game may have thrust him into the reckoning for a starting place at Crewe on Saturday.

“Obviously getting a goal at any standard is good,” said Turner “But it is more about the team and I am disappointed we didn’t get the three points against MK Dons.

“It has been stop-start for me. I have had four hamstring tears since I have been at the club and I haven’t played a lot of minutes. At this moment I am glad to just be getting on to the pitch — and getting a goal is a bonus. Being 19 and getting so many injuries is a horrible thing.

“But I believe that my hamstrings are sorted now and we have a new physio who seems to have got me in decent shape. Hopefully, I can kick on from this performance and go and get more goals.

“I have really enjoyed my time here. There is a really good bunch of lads and it is just a shame that recent results have not gone our way.

“It is a bit different to working for Lee Johnson. Dean seems a bit more like one of the lads. I really like working with him.”