Apostolos Stamatelopoulos relishing Motherwell’s busy schedule

Motherwell striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos is relishing the busy schedule as he bids to show Scottish football what he is made of after a stop-start early career at Fir Park.

The Australia international faced a wait for his transfer from Newcastle Jets to go through and then became a father just as the deal was being finalised. After he finally arrived in Scotland, he suffered a thigh injury on his first start against Rangers, which kept him out for six weeks.

The 25-year-old scored on his second start, against Hibernian, before returning home on international duty and suffering an upset stomach which forced him off in last week’s home defeat by Dundee.

So he is looking forward to getting into the thick of the action when Motherwell host Celtic on Sunday before taking on Dundee United on Wednesday and then Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals.

“These next few weeks for me are vital, I think, especially knowing myself as a player, getting consistency for me is going to be the thing where I feel like I can show my best,” he said.

“So, once I get a run of games, I think I’ll start to perform at a higher level.”

Stamatelopoulos hit 17 goals in 25 matches last season to earn himself an international call-up and a move to Motherwell.

“I guess you could say I was a bit of a late bloomer,” he said. “Like, last year was the first time where I’d put together more than three or four games in a row, and I was able to show what I could do, and I feel like this season’s going to be the same.

“Once I get a run of games, I can show everyone in Scottish football what I can do.”

Motherwell fans got a glimpse of his potential when he produced an emphatic finish in a victory at Easter Road earlier this month, and the breakthrough was a relief for the striker.

“Especially because of the way that I had started the season with the injury, and coming in a little bit later than expected, definitely, for sure, to get a goal that soon is great,” he said.

He added: “I’m really happy with the move. Happy with the club, changing room, coaching staff. My missus is here with the kid now. She’s very happy.”

Stamatelopoulos is back fully fit after running off the pitch just before the half-time whistle in last weekend’s home defeat by Dundee, following his return from Socceroos duty.

“I think I got food poisoning, to be honest,” he said. “I was struggling a lot.

“I didn’t have anything too out of the ordinary. I think my body was just a bit run down from the travel. And then, obviously, I just didn’t eat something that sat well with me.”