ROSS FORBES was joking when he said this season had been his best since his very first – but only just.

Now 28, it’s eight years since he emerged at Motherwell looking every inch the classy left sided midfielder of this campaign which has seen the Morton man nominated for PFA Scotland Championship player of the year.

Football is not an easy game and while Forbes always had talent, his career suffered ups with Partick Thistle and some real downs as well, eventually finding himself in at Dunfermline in League One.

It is only now at Cappielow under Jim Duffy that the player everyone felt he always was has been seen on a regular basis.

“It would be fair to say that I’ve enjoyed my football more this season than for a long time,” said Forbes. “It makes a big difference to play every week and that wouldn’t happen if I wasn’t playing to a high standard.

“I am playing with confidence and we have been winning games, which makes this the best part of my career for a while.

“I do feel as if I’ve been about for ages. It has taken me this time to have a good season...

“When I burst onto the scene at Motherwell you could say that had been a good season as well, but I only really played the first half, and I’ve been consistently playing this year.”

Forbes has not had it all his own way and yet never stopped believing in himself and his desire to stay in football never left him – even if there were temptations.

He said: “I did get a job in the middle of my career and you do think about whether it’s worth going on or is it best to get away, make some more money and it’s less hassle.

“But I always wanted to keep going and strive to a full-time football player. I was never going to give up.”

Anyone who has watched Morton since July will speak highly of Forbes. Even Neil Lennon name dropped him recently as being one of the best players he had seen in the division.

The Greenock side are in the play-off and have as good a chance as any of the four teams in the mix to become a Premiership club next season, a feat their something of a veteran playmaker would cherish.

Forbes said: “Personally, it would be massive for me. You want to play at the highest level, which for me would be with Morton in the Premiership.

“There are a few hurdles along the way, but not many would have tipped us to be a top four side. For a club the size of Morton this has been a great season.”

And as for his manager Jim Duffy, Forbes admitted: “It’s fair to say he’s turned around my career. I was at Dunfermline before I moved to Morton and things weren’t working out.

“I had left Partick Thistle in the SPFL to jump down to leagues and at that time, and I’m honest enough to say this, things weren’t looking good for me.

“However, since the manager signed me I’ve been involved in 99 per cent of the games. He’s been a huge factor in all of this.”