Ex-Liverpool man Matty Virtue sets potential return date from injury after signing new contract with Blackpool

The 23-year-old has yet to feature in the league this season, his only appearance coming off the bench in the opening day Carabao Cup defeat to Stoke City.

It’s been a frustrating start to the campaign for the midfielder, who has been a big miss in the middle of the park.

“Hopefully I’ll be back training in three weeks or so,” Virtue said.

“It’s been a bit of a tough time to be honest, it’s just a bit of a niggly one that has just gone on which is not how I expected the start of the season to go.

“I wanted to be out on the pitch helping the team but it’s obviously not gone that way. All I can do now is concentrate on getting back as fit as I can.

“When I’m back fit, hopefully I can help the team in that way especially with the way we’re playing with attacking football in other teams’ half, hopefully that will give me lots of opportunities to score some goals.

“It’s always an aim of mine to do that. Last season I had quite a lot of chances and probably should have scored more than I did.”

Virtue, who has signed a fresh two-year deal, has made 45 appearances for the club since signing from Liverpool in January 2019, scoring six times.

He made the move from Merseyside halfway through the 2018/19 season for an undisclosed fee, penning a two-and-a-half-year contract.

The midfielder has now pledged his future to the club under Neil Critchley, who he played under during his time at Liverpool.

“It’s been ongoing for a while,” Virtue said.

“As soon as the manager came in, he had a chat with me and talked about his intentions for the team and how I’d be a big part of that.

“He said he wanted me to be here not just for this season but more to come and I was very happy to be a part of what he’s brought to the club.

“With the way we want to play, I think he can get the best out of me which was a massive decision in me signing.

“It was never my intention to run down my contract and try and leave on a free, I always wanted that security and I wanted to know I was on a journey here.

“We’ve got a goal, the goal is obviously to get promoted, that’s what I want and I didn’t really want to be jumping ship so I’m very happy to get it done.”

Virtue has seen it all since his arrival, originally playing in front of sparse Bloomfield Road crowds during the final days and weeks of the Oyston tenure, before witnessing the huge transformation since the receivers and Simon Sadler were brought in.

“The culture change of the club has been massive since I’ve come in,” he added.

“I came in just before the fans came back, then the new owner came in and there’s been such massive change since then.

“We’re getting loads for us. The owner is really helping out and you can see how ambitious they’re being with the potential new training ground and they’re sorting us out at Squires Gate. It’s a good project and hopefully we can start to perform on the pitch.

“Every player wants to have belief in him, every player needs to be believed in and I think the manager is going to bring that for me.

“He’s coached me before, he knows what he needs to do to get the best out of me and that’s why I’m so happy to get this done.”