After signing a new long-term contract to secure his future, Scott Wharton’s immediate priority remains getting back to full fitness.

That has been the aim since he left the field at Brentford in December on a stretcher, scans later revealing a rupture to his Achilles tendon.

The rehabilitation process has been slow, Wharton having to retrain his brain to putting weight back on his leg, and building up confidence and trust once again after such a serious injury.

His season was over, and the 23-year-old was always expected to miss the majority of 2021, but he’s hopeful of a return as soon to the start of pre-season as possible.

“It’s been quite a slow rehab so far, but this season seems to have flown by since I picked up the injury, so I’ll be doing all the hard work over the off season and getting myself ready for pre-season and being back involved with the lads,” Wharton explained.

He is one of three long-term injuries at the club, Bradley Dack having suffered a second anterior cruciate ligament injury, also against Brentford, in March, with the 27-year-old set to miss much of the calendar year.

Joe Rankin-Costello is the nearest of the three to returning, the 21-year-old having sustained a fractured metatarsal against Wycombe at the start of last month, but he is hopeful of being back with the squad when they return to training at the end of June.

All three were cruel blows for the players, as well as Rovers, with Wharton starting to establish a good understanding with Darragh Lenihan at the heart of the defence, but injury struck. Wharton had been building his experience and game-time during spells out on loan, the most recent with Northampton giving him the platform to impress in pre-season, and with absentees elsewhere, take his chance in the starting line-up when he campaign.

“The injury probably came at the wrong time for me, as I was just getting myself into the team and going on a good unbeaten run when I was playing.

“I felt like my performances were getting better with each game, so hopefully I can do that again when I’m back fit,” said Wharton, who is now on 14 Rovers appearances.

“The club were sending me out on loan to get experience and to get the game time that I needed to eventually try and get into the first team here, so it’s been a lot of hard work over the last few years to get to this position.

“But I want to keep going and get more games under my belt here at Rovers, so I’m looking forward to the future.”

He has over 100 career games under his belt, and is looking forward to more of those coming in Rovers colours.

His desire has always been to make the grade at Ewood Park, the Salesbury-born youngster having long held an ambition of representing the first-team, with younger brother Adam part of the club’s Under-18s squad.

And after a taste of first-team action, Wharton is itching to get back and in contention for more appearances.

He added: “I know I’m injured now, but I’m looking to get back fit as soon as possible and hit the ground running next season.

“I just want to get back fit and be raring to go.”