Interview with Allan Jenkins

In depth profile

Allan Jenkins is a powerful box to box midfielder and joined Morton from Gretna in the new year transfer window of 2008. His 6ft 2in frame is powerfully built and at over 13st he is not easily muscled off the ball. He has a good eye for the game and can pick out passes for colleagues.

He made his debut for the club in Jim McInally’s last game in charge of the team, a dramatic 2-1 defeat against Clyde at Cappielow. Few Morton fans who were there will forget the disappointment of that day when, having been cruising to a 1-0 victory, we conceded two goals in injury time to lose what was thought of as a crucial relegation match. Allan shortly thereafter found himself under the charge of the manager that he thought he had just left at Gretna, Davie Irons!

Allan started his career at Stranraer when he responded to a radio advert inviting young players along for a trial. He excelled on the day and was signed. He became a fixture in the team and played nearly 200 times for them, winning successive promotions to the second and first divisions respectively. He also had them on track to stay in the first division until the team rather fell apart when he and others were transferred for big money fees to other clubs. He is still regarded as a Stranraer ‘legend’ by their fans.

In 2006 he joined Gretna and was once again involved in winning successive promotions, this time from the second to the first and then from the first to the SPL. He missed out on the cup final appearance Gretna made due to injury but did score the winning goal in their first ever SPL victory, 3-2 over Dundee United.

After joining Morton, he was carrying a niggling injury and that impaired his performances to some extent but this was eventually diagnosed and he had corrective surgery during the 2008 close season. This meant that he missed pre-season games and the first few matches of the season but he is expected to make a return in August, an event eagerly awaited by Morton fans.

Allan in engaged and he and his partner are expecting their first child soon. He has a dry sense of humour and lists among his hobbies 'counting his money' and 'modelling balaclavas'!!!