FORMER Celtic starlet Michael McGlinchey has thanked Partick Thistle for the chance to do pre-season training with the Firhill club.

FORMER Celtic starlet Michael McGlinchey has thanked Partick Thistle for the chance to do pre-season training with the Firhill club.

And the 22-year-old has vowed to do everything he can to impress Thistle management team Ian McCall and Gerry Britton into handing him a deal.

As exclusively revealed in SportTimes yesterday, the highly-rated player has been handed the chance to resurrect his career after being shown the door at Parkhead in May.

A determined McGlinchey said: "First of all, I'd just like to say thanks to both Ian and Gerry for the chance to come in and join Partick Thistle for pre-season.

"I am hungry to kick-start my career and I have belief in my ability to do just that.

"I know Thistle are a great club who, under Ian, like to play attacking, passing football and I am hoping I can offer them something in that regard.

"I have kept myself in great shape after leaving Celtic in May and have been working out almost every day, so I am ready to make the most of an oppor-tunity like this.

"But it certainly gives you a lift when a team like Thistle invite you in for pre-season and hopefully the first day went well and I can build on it."

McGlinchey's sole competitive top-team appearance for the Hoops came in a December 2005 SPL game with Livingston.

After a successful loan spell at Dunfermline in season 2007/08 failed to provide him with the impetus to make the top team breakthrough at Parkhead, the attacking midfielder knew the writing was on the wall in Paradise.

McGlinchey says his best position is probably in central midfield, but he also enjoys playing in behind a front two and that could provide McCall with some interesting options if the two parties come to an agreement.

However, after relishing every moment of his three-month loan spell with Dunfermline, McGlinchey says he is desperate to earn himself a chance to play competitive football week-in, week-out, even though he knows that will be no easy ask at Firhill where the Jags are not short on midfield options.

He said: "When I was at Dunfermline Jim McIntyre had just taken over and we enjoyed a good spell where we won a few matches and it was just great to be involved in that.

One of these games was at Firhill in a 1-1 draw and what struck me about that match was the tremendous atmosphere the Thistle fans generated.

"So I know a good bit about the Irn-Bru First Division and I know that it is a hard and competitive league and one I would love to play in.

"I'd be delighted if that opportunity came to fruition with Thistle."

With the Jags' first closed-door game coming a week on Saturday against Cowdenbeath, the former Celt is hoping he can make the kind of immediate impact that will earn him some game time at the earliest possible opportunity. McGlinchey said: "Obviously if I can be involved in even the closed-door games then it would mean I had hopefully been doing well enough on the training ground, so that has got to be a definite target.

"But I am just determined to get my career back on track and hungry to play.

"People seem to think I have been around forever, but I am still only 22, and my best football is still well in front of me.

"I believe if I get the opportunity I can make something of myself and I'm at Thistle to earn that chance."