DAVID BARRON is aiming to be fit for the opening weekend of the season after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury this summer.

The 25-year-old spent last week training with the under-20s as the first-team squad jetted off to Marbella but he returned to regular training yesterday.

Having had a metal plate and pin inserted into his ankle to hold the ligament in place he is naturally cautious about going full throttle on the training ground – yet knows a few kicks will be exactly what he needs.

"It has been a hard summer but I am not too far away from the level that the other lads are at just now and I feel good," he said.

"The operation wasn't as bad as it sounds but I do think that once I get back into full training it'll be good in some ways to get a few tackles and a few kicks on it just to make sure that it holds up.

"In a strange way that actually gives you a lot of confidence because you know then that it will hold up OK.

"Physically I feel good and I don't think I should be too far away from the level that the rest of the boys are at because I have been doing a lot of fitness work and trying to make sure that I have being ticking over.

"I don't think it is too ambitious to aim for being ready to play for the opening game of the season.

"It is three weeks away so I still have a bit of time and if I can get involved in some of our pre-season games then I can start to get my match sharpness back."

Barron had to endure a season of frustration last term when injury ravaged his campaign.

He was unable to get a sustained run of games in the first team, something that made his injury at the tail end of last season all the harder to take.

The utility player is now heading into the final year of his contract and knows that the year which lies ahead of him could be one of the biggest of his career to date.

"It is a really big season for me because there is so much at stake," he said.

"I am hoping that if I can get myself fit and into the team then I can do enough to stay there.

"I really want to play some part right from the start of the season because if you do that then you know that you give yourself something to build on.

"I am not a kid anymore. I am in my mid-20s and I want the chance to play every week and take some responsibility."

There will be competition for places at St Mirren this season but Barron believes that can be of benefit to the team as a whole.

"Of course everyone wants to play," he said. "That goes without saying.

"But it keeps you on your toes knowing that there is someone at your back who can go in and take your place. You have to be prepared for that.

"I just want to do enough over the next few weeks to show the manager that I am ready to get back in there."