North End striker Stevie May is feeling positive as his return to action draws closer after a long stint on the sidelines.
May suffered a serious knee injury last November and since then has been working hard on the road to recovery.
There is light at the end of the tunnel for the Scot, who has recently been back on the field training, and has even joined in some light sessions with the rest of the first team.
Speaking of his recent progress, the 23-year-old said: "It's good to get outside and get the sun on your back and it's a nice feeling. It's not been an easy time inside the physio room but it could have been a lot worse.
"I expected it to be worse mentally than what it has been, I think I have dealt with it then. The physios here have been brilliant, so get back outside is great.
"The first bit was a lot of running and fitness work to get back but now I'm striking the ball and reaping the rewards of 11 months of hard work."
The former St Johnstone star has seen a change in his training programme recently as he stepped up his recovery and is grateful for the help of medical staff Matt Jackson and Lewis Hiney.
"I'm done with the specialist now, the last time I saw him was a couple of months ago now and he was happy with everything and how it had gone in terms of the repairing of the ligaments and he gave me the all clear that he didn't need to see me again.
"From then I have just been working with Jacko and Lew and progressing slowly but surely. We've not had any setbacks so it's been good on that side of things.
"Running was a bit strange to start with because you have to kind of relearn all the physics of it all but now I'm back in and joining in bits of training with the boys and getting a touch and getting more confident everyday and that's what it's going to take.
"If I was to compare now to the first day that I kicked a ball, it was a bit timid, I was feeling twinges when I was just doing small, short passes.
"Now they are only coming when I am striking the ball 40 or 50 yards, it's just a case of breaking down scar tissue in there and I am going to get little twinges in there now and again from it but they are coming less and less.
"When you're out there and you're playing, when you're out there with the boys your mind is so involved in what you are doing that you forget about those things.
"I've been told that that is going to happen, I'm going to feel things now and again but to just keep battling through it and breaking it down which is going well, and better than even I had expected.
Depsite his progress, May is reluctant to set a date for a comeback, and continues to keep taking it day by day as he aims to pull on the Lilywhite shirt once again.
"Along the way that's the question that you get asked, even three or four months ago people were asking when I was back and it's not a question you can really answer. You've just got to take every day as it comes, which I have been doing.
"I think if you set a target now and you don't make it then people will question it but it's getting closer now.
"I'm enjoying it, I'm enjoying being back out there and being involved with the group again."
Despite the obvious frustrations of a lengthy absence, May has been grateful for the support from everyone at the club and the supporters during his time on the sidelines.
"It's always nice when people are asking and wondering, for a long time it was a difficult question to answer back and you couldn't say anthing with real confidence about when." He continued.
"Now that I know I'm back involved with bits of training and that then you know it's going to be soon.
"It's really enjoyable now being back involved in the group and the atmosphere amongst the boys and it's going really well just now."
You can hear more from Stevie May on his impending return to fitness on PNE PlayerHD now by clicking on the video below.