Mustapha Dumbuya has thanked the Partick Thistle fans and his teammates for their support after he made his long-awaited comeback to first-team football on Saturday.

The full-back played the second 45 minutes for Thistle in the comfortable Scottish Cup win over Formartine United, his first appearance of the season after rupturing his Achilles last summer.

It marked the end of a long road to recovery for the 29-year-old, and he admitted that it was a huge moment for him to step out in front of the Firhill faithful again.

“It felt really good,” Dumbuya said. “It’s what I’ve been looking forward to for the past six and a half months.

“It was an amazing welcome from the fans and it was emotional for me. The supporters have been fantastic to me since I’ve been here and I’m very grateful. My family were out there and I’m sure my Mrs was crying.

“It’s been really tough for me. I’ve had to stay mentally strong and also physically. But I’ve done it and I’ve been looking forward to this day.

“The fans were brilliant during my comeback. The boys here, too, were great. They were all delighted to see me play 45 minutes over in Spain. That helped me a lot. The manager and Scotty have always been encouraging me.

“It’s been a tough six months, but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.”

As Dumbuya mentioned, his wife Louise was particularly emotional to see her man back doing what he loves, and not just because he’s been driving her crazy while he has been out of action.

“She’s been driving ME crazy,” he laughed. “She wants me out on the pitch. I’m sure she’s delighted.

“She was in London and came up on the morning of the game to see me play. Then she went straight back down south. Louise has been fantastic for me.”

Dumbuya is grateful to have such a strong support network around him, and he needed it during the darker moments of his lay-off when he questioned whether he would ever get back to the same level again.

“It’s the longest I’ve ever been out,” he said. “Towards the end of last season I had a few niggles in my Achilles and had injections to get me through. However, they also kind of weakened it.

“During the summer I wasn’t doing too much. I was only a few days away from the start of pre-season and I was playing fives with a few mates when the Achilles completely snapped.

“It’s very uncomfortable. It’s so loud when it snaps, it’s like a gun-shot. The loudest bang you’ll hear in your life. My foot was literally hanging.

“It was four days before pre-season. It was nothing to do with Thistle, I was out with my friends.

“I literally went straight to the A&E and the verdict on it was instant, I’d ruptured the Achilles.

“I definitely worried about the situation. I was aware of people who’d had a similar injury and had never quite been the same again.

“It was playing in my head, although not too much. I know what type of person I am, that I am strong enough to fight this kind of thing. I’m mentally strong, I was determined it wouldn’t get to me.”

Dumbuya’s infectious enthusiasm will be a welcome presence in the Thistle dressing room as the fight for a top-half finish gathers momentum in the second half of the season.

“It is a great time,” he said. “Confidence is high among the boys and we’re definitely good enough to be in the top six. If me being back is going to help that, then fantastic. But even if I’m not then I’m sure we’re going to be in the top six.”