Dumbarton striker Isaac Layne hopes that the best is still to come from him as he battles back from a year long injury.

The 24-year-old missed more than 12 months of football after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) whilst playing for Stranraer against Clyde in the Betfred Cup last season.

It’s been a long road to recovery since then but Layne has started the last three league games for Dumbarton after joining in the summer – and the Englishman has hit red hot form, bagging five goals in the process.

And, despite missing most of pre-season, Layne, whose five goals have come from just seven games, is optimistic that he still has plenty more to offer.

“The gaffer has been really good with me and really patient,” he told Reporter Sport. “It’s my first few starts in over a year, going back to the Betfred Cup last season.

“The boys have been helping me through it as well and I feel like I’ve got more to give.

“Being out injured, especially with an ACL, is horrible.

“It’s a horrible injury and this year the gaffer and Kirsten, the physio here, have been really good with my rehab and I hope to keep improving.

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“I’ve not really had much of a pre-season but I’ve started relatively well and hopefully I can keep that up.

“The injury is completely fine now. I had surgery in January at the start of this year so I’ve just been rehabbing since then.

“I went home to my country, Uganda, and did my rehab out there in the sun for a month and a half which obviously helped.”

Layne, who has also previously turned out for Alloa, clinched the winner at Peterhead on August 17 before bagging another two goals against Stranraer the following week and another brace against Montrose the week after that.

The striker’s form and goals have coincided with three vital wins on the bounce for Jim Duffy’s side as they gear up to host Airdrieonians at the C&G Systems Stadium this weekend, where Layne will be looking to add to his tally.

And while the in-form forward is desperate for more goals, he admits that he has his teammates to thank for his recent exploits.

He added: “The boys have made it easy for me with the goals and when you’ve got boys like PJ [Crossan] and Joe [McKee] around you, then you’re going to get chances.

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“I’ve missed scoring goals and when you’re out for a year, then every time you score it feels that bit better.

“Things have gone well so far and hopefully they can stay that way and there’s not any bumps in the road.

“The gaffer has been really good and it’s a good set of boys so I don’t see why this can’t be a good season for me and all the boys here.”

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