Neil Critchley delighted to see Matty Virtue return for Blackpool after 13-month absence

The midfielder came off the bench in the 82nd minute to make his first appearance for the Seasiders in 13 months.

It’s been a long road back for the 24-year-old, who ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during a win at Oxford United in March of last year.

But Virtue has been slowly but surely stepping up his recovery in recent weeks, returning to training and taking part in some recent behind-closed-doors friendlies during the international break.

With Kevin Stewart injured again, Kenny Dougall out of sorts and Callum Connolly potentially required at right-back, Virtue should see plenty of more action during the final seven games of the season.

“Brilliant,” Critchley said of Virtue’s return.

“He’s been ready for it, he’s trained for a while and he’s had two 45-minute games.

“We thought he might come on and get a goal because he’s got a habit of arriving in the box and scoring.

“He’s worked ever so hard so to come back in a game like this and take to the pitch is a big moment and a good moment for him.”

The Seasiders showed faith in Virtue by handing him a new contract in October of last year while he was recovering from his injury.

The midfielder’s contract was originally due to expire at the end of this season before he put pen to paper on a fresh deal which will keep him at Bloomfield Road until at least June 2023.

The 24-year-old, who is the club's longest-serving player, has made 64 appearances for the club since signing from Liverpool in January 2019, scoring eight 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 will be hoping to make his second appearance of the season when the Seasiders return to action in another Lancashire derby on Saturday, when they take on Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

Tony Mowbray’s side have now slipped down to eighth having won just two of their last 12 games.