LUKE Winsper is elated to have been given the all-clear to return to action.

The Terras’ midfielder, whose season was kyboshed last term by a trapped nerve in his foot which caused him to go under the knife in June, was put through his paces for the first time by the Weymouth coaching staff prior to the club’s midweek victory over Paulton Rovers.

Winsper, who will continue to rehabilitate over the next couple of weeks, had only been granted permission to start exercising a day previously, a full month earlier than he had hoped.

“I can’t believe how well it has healed,” he told Echosport.

“I went to the hospital to see the doctor and he said ‘look, it’s all fine, if you want to kick a ball and go running it’s up to you now’. He is going to leave the rest up to our physio.

“I got there a bit earlier before everyone else turned up on Tuesday and it felt really good.

“It has been six weeks since the op and that was the first thing I had done.

“I am just happy that I am back already. I want to do a couple of weeks of fitness then get back into training with the lads.

“Hopefully then I can have a couple of games for the reserves and then maybe go out on loan.”

And while Weymouth host Dunstable Town at the Bob Lucas Stadium this afternoon (3pm), Winsper is fully aware that when he is back up to full speed it is going to be a big challenge for him to work his way back into the first-team squad.

He added: “We have about six or seven central- midfielders and that’s good because you need competition if you want to go up.

“I thought the midfield (against Paulton) were class. Riggy (George Rigg) and Kells (Adam Kelly) ripped it up and it will be tough to get into the team.

“The way we pass the ball around compared to some of the other teams in our league is very decent.

“If you want to stay in the team you have to perform week in and week out.”