Josh Mullin admits he's making life a misery for boss Lee Bullen as he begs to get back on the pitch for Ayr United.
The winger has missed the last month for The Honest Men with a fractured metatarsal.
Gaffer Bullen is suffering constant earache from Mullin who confesses life on the sidelines is not for him.
But now he's ready to give United a huge boost by targeting a return before the end of the league season.
Mullin told the Ayrshire Post: "Touch wood this is the first proper injury I've had in my career, so I've been fortunate in that regard.
"But anyone will tell you I just want to be out there playing. It's the worst time of the season to be sat feeling like you can't help the boys.
"I've tried to keep doing my bit by coming in every day and adding my voice around the place. The gaffer has spoken before about using me as one of the leaders in the dressing room and I take that role seriously."
Mullin admits he's having to be restrained from rushing back too soon by Bullen and the United medical staff, such is his eagerness to get back on the pitch.
He smiled: "I've been in front of the gaffer running on the spot trying to convince him that I'm ready to start training again.
"But he's quite right that we need to be 100 per cent sure. There's no point me rushing and setting myself back by a few weeks when we have such big games coming up.
"At the end of the day it was a nasty injury. At first I thought I'd got a bad kick on it but when I stood up I could feel something pulling at the bottom of my foot. Then I saw the blood.
"I had a scan the other day and there's just a bit more healing to be done, so hopefully by the end of next week I can be back on the grass and then I'm targeting the Queen's Park game (April 21) for my return."
Mullin's initial loan from Livingston was made permanent by Ayr in January off the back of a big impact which has produced nine goals and eight assists.
And the former Ross County and Hamilton star is hungry to add more success to his CV by helping United to promotion.
He said: "Nobody would be more disappointed than this group of players if our season was to fizzle out - we have come such a long way and put ourselves in a great position.
"The league is so up and down. You only have to look at Raith beating Queen's Park on Saturday and then they get beaten by Hamilton last night.
"We know what we're capable of and have five big games left and who knows beyond that."
