Apostolos Stamatelopoulos ready to make mark at Motherwell after injury issues

Motherwell striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos is looking to make up for lost time after netting his first goal in seven months.

The Australian bundled home Motherwell’s opener against Morton on Tuesday as a 3-0 win sealed their place in Premier Sports Cup round two.

Stamatelopoulos was Motherwell’s big-money signing last summer when he moved from Newcastle Jets but the centre-forward tore a thigh muscle on his first start.

After hitting his fifth goal of the season against Rangers on December 29, he suffered a calf injury that sidelined him until March – only for a training-ground shot to shatter his wrist before he could make his comeback.

“It’s definitely been tough,” said the 26-year-old, who became a father immediately before moving to Scotland.

“I mean, the whole of last season, I would have said, was pretty tough. There was a little bit of run of games where I thought, okay, I’m starting to feel like myself again. And then obviously I got injured again.

“It’s the first time that’s happened in my career so it’s taken a bit of adjusting to get back to that.

“I’ve had injuries before, but I’ve only been max eight weeks out. I’ve only had two before the last season, two big ones in the six years, seven years that I’ve played professional football.

“So, it’s definitely different from anything that I’ve been used to, but I feel like I’m getting there every day, slowly, slowly.

“So hopefully by the time the season comes, I’m ready to go. I mean, that was the first time I played 90, so I started cramping towards the end, but the body’s getting there.”

Stamatelopoulos lapped up the chance to net on the rebound from a yard out and is excited about the opportunity to play in Jens Berthel Askou’s side, given the creative players that have arrived and the new manager’s commitment to getting men forward.

“I mean, no one’s really going to remember in six months’ time how it went in,” he said of his goal. “I’ve just got to live around the box. I feel like my movement was decent, could be a little bit sharper, but that’s what I live for in the box.

“Once that went in, it was just like a massive side relief after so long. Getting my first one and thankfully it happened before the season started.

“There were a few times where I gambled the wrong way. And if I’d made a different run, I would have had another couple of tap-ins.

“So, it’s just finding that partnership, that relationship with team-mates, knowing what they want to do in certain situations, and then more goals will come for sure.”