Montano aims to steer clear of injury

WING wonder Cristian Montano is desperate to stay injury free this season — so he can really make his mark in the league.

The 21-year-old, Colombian-born wide man was signed by Paul Dickov last summer and made an

encouraging start to his Athletic career, his quick feet and surging runs soon endearing him to the fans.

But disaster struck on New Year’s Day in a 2-2 draw at Scunthorpe, when he collapsed with a torn thigh muscle.

Montano returned after three months away - meaning his season consisted of two goals in 33 games.

Montano said: “My target is simple really; I just want to stay injury-free, play as many games as I can and generally do well for the team.

“There’s no knowing yet where this season will take us, of course, but the new manager is doing a great job. He is always helping us and talking to us, which is something I’ve not always experienced working for other managers.

“He’s brought in some good players since the end of last season, so there will be competition in the squad. It keeps people on their toes and that’s what you need if you're a team that wants to do well.”

Montano was pleased to see his Athletic team-mates return from the summer break looking eager to impress boss Lee Johnson.

The Colombian added: “We’ve worked really hard on the training ground through pre-season. It was important that everyone looked after themselves over the holidays, and hopefully that will prove important in the longer term once the season gets underway.”