When any player has a one-season deal at a club, the window of opportunity to sufficiently impress a manager is always limited.

When that player also has to leave the continent for extended spells on international duty three times during that season however, their chances of winning an extended deal decrease significantly still.

Ryan Edwards knows therefore that the next four months are absolutely vital to him as he bids to extend his stay with Partick Thistle.

The Australia under-23 captain has just returned from Qatar and his third tour of duty with his country this season, as they narrowly failed to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games.

Edwards wants to repay the faith shown in him by manager Alan Archibald by helping Thistle stay up, and in the process, earn himself a new deal.

He said: My contract is up in the summer, it was only a one-year deal so I had targeted this period to get a good run of games.

“We’ve seen recently that a number of players have signed contracts like Tomas Cerny, Mustapha Dumbuya and Kris Doolan, so that’s encouraging to know that if you’re doing well and having a run of games that they are looking to strengthen the team for next season.

“Hopefully I can impress the manager and earn a new contract.

“Partick Thistle gave me a chance. Alan Archibald handed me a massive opportunity to continue my professional career, I’m happy here at the moment and as long as I get a run of games I’ll be delighted to stay.

“Apart from not qualifying obviously it was a good trip away with Australia.

“Playing for your country in a major international tournament is a huge honour, and it was a bitter pill to swallow when we didn’t qualify.

“We didn’t achieve our goal and for a lot of us it will probably be the last time we get to wear the Australian jersey.

“But after every setback there’s got to be a positive somewhere, and for me it’s that I get to come back to Thistle early.

“I really want to try to get into the team and play more games. Originally we thought I’d still be in Qatar at the moment, so it’s good that I can get some football here.

“It’s been a bit stop-start for me for the whole five or six months that I’ve been here because of the international breaks.

“I knew I was going away again in January, and now coming back I had targeted this period to make it my main focus to get back in the team and help them get back up the league table.

“I’m almost coming back like a new signing. We had a lot of attacking players in the squad, but now Robbie Muirhead has gone back to Dundee United and Ryan Stevenson has left, so if I work hard in training then hopefully the manager will think I’m the man for the job.”

If Edwards is to make himself a hero to the Thistle faithful, then Saturday’s crunch match against bottom club Dundee United would be a good place to start.

He is hoping that after restoring confidence in their defence with a clean sheet at Inverness, he can be the one to make the difference in attack to pull Thistle well clear of the automatic relegation place.

He said: “I was travelling during the game but I was following it on Twitter and it was good to get a clean sheet after the defeat the week before.

“It’s encouraging going into the game on Saturday. Dundee United got a good result at the weekend, so they will be fired up too so it should be a good game for us.

“I know the boys are always working hard to be better in attacking areas, and I’ve come back match-fit after getting some good game-time when I was away.

“I hope I can play my part on Saturday and either create something or score to help the team.”