CRAIG SAMSON has assured Mark McGhee he has a ready-made No.1 in his Motherwell ranks for next season after a debut clean sheet.

The former Kilmarnock and St Mirren goalkeeper got his first game for the Fir Park side on Saturday in a convincing 1-0 victory over Hearts.

It has been a long time coming for the 32-year-old who joined Well in September who has been second choice to on-loan Middlesbrough shot stopper Connor Ripley.

Both men are due to end their time in Lanarkshire this summer with Samson out of contract and Ripley due to return to the Riverside.

However, with Motherwell boss McGhee keen to keep the former Scotland international, the man with the 100 per cent record is keen to make his gaffer know he is up to the challenge on a regular basis.

“It’s something me and the manager have spoken about,” said Samson.

“We had a conversation a couple of months ago and spoke again last week. We’ll sort something out and see what happens from there.

“I want to play games. I wanted to play games this year even though it’s not been the case.

“The ideal scenario would have been I was there and Connor would have gone back to Middlesbrough in January which would have allowed me to go in the team.

“That never happened and Connor has played well, but next season I’ll be looking to be No.1 at the football club, stay in the team and do as well as I can.

“The manager told me he knew he could rely on me if he put me in and hopefully he sees it that he already has a No.1 here next year.”

Samson may have recorded a clean sheet on Saturday, but the ex-Dundee man was hardly overworked by a tame Hearts team who spurned the chance of going within five points of second-top Aberdeen in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

Instead, it was Lionel Ainsworth’s first-half strike that paved the way for Motherwell to leap back into fourth as Scott McDonald and Louis Moult both spurned chances to add to their lead.

“It’s always nice to get a clean sheet no matter what game it is but obviously this is the first game I’ve played this season so it was good and a great three points,” added Samson.

“I knew when I came here what the position was. I came a good bit into the season and Connor was playing and doing well.

“As a goalkeeper you’ve just got to sit and wait patiently to get into the team.

“Connor has been excellent this season, he’s been great the whole time. Sometimes you are itching to get in but it’s difficult. You are also supporting him to go out and do well for the team.”

Speaking about Samson and the prospect of a new deal, McGhee added: "We had intended to [give him a game before the end of the season] anyway then, with Connor being a wee bit ill at the beginning of the week, it ensured the decision.

"He will get another game before the end of the season. We have made sure that he knows he is wanted here next year. So we wanted to give him some sort of outing.

"Connor has been fantastic, but will go back to his home club."