Following his move to Vale Park in the summer, Cristian Montano has found first team appearances limited due to a spell on the sidelines through injury.

The dynamic winger caught the eye of supporters in pre-season with some excellent performances, but he has had to endure a ‘frustrating’ few months.

Montano did make his comeback on Tuesday night, coming on to score as a late substitute versus Morecambe. However, he knows that there is still a lot of work to be done.

He said: “It’s been a frustrating start to the season for me with the injury and having to try and play through it at times.

“I ended up tearing my hamstring and I had been out for seven weeks, so I owe a lot to the physios because they’ve been working hard with me, getting it stronger.

“Fitness wise, I felt good through pre-season, but I’ve been coming in early and sticking to a programme, doing rehab work before I train - now it’s just about getting match fitness.”

On making his long awaited return, he added: “I’ve just got to keep working hard now and we will see what happens, I’m just staying focused and trying to work myself into the team again.

“When Aspin first arrived I was injured so I was working away from him for the first week. I only joined in fully again this week, but he has been positive and he seems happy with me.

“It’s just a case of getting the match sharpness back now and earning a place. The team have been doing really well, I’ve just got to be patient and wait for my chance."