Keeper Samson desperate to stay at Motherwell

The former Kilmarnock ace has played in two recent matches – with ’Well winning them both – and could be a key man next season as this campaign’s regular number one Connor Ripley is about to return to Middlesbrough upon the expiry of his season-long loan.

“I’m desperate to stay,” Samson said.

“We are in discussions with the club at the moment.

“There’s a few of the players whose contracts are up. The manager and Alan Burrows have spoken to a few of the players.

“We will hopefully get things sorted out between myself and the rest of the boys and stay together as a team and hopefully push on next year.

Connor Ripley’s been great but next year I want to get in the team and play as many games as I can.

“I’m a goalkeeper who wants to play games. I’m not here to sit on the bench.

“It’s not been easy at times being a substitute. But I think goalkeeper is the one position where you are not going to get on for 10 minutes to impress.

“If the other goalie’s doing well you’ve just got to keep training hard and if called upon be ready.

“The manager’s called upon me for two games and I’ve done ok for him.”

Samson was speaking in the wake of last Wednesday night’s 3-1 win at Ross County which sealed fifth spot in the Scottish Premiership for ’Well.

The ’Well custodian did brilliantly to turn a second half David Goodwillie shot around the post and then tip Brian Graham’s attempted cross over the bar.

Samson said: “Second half they put a lot of pressure on us and credit to them for keeping digging in when we were probably on top of the game in the first half.

“The first save was part and parcel of the job. Luckily enough for me, I managed to get my leg onto it and get it past the post.

“For the second one, Graham nearly got a lucky one there. He asked me if it nearly went in because he’s looked away as he thought it was going over the bar.

“I also thought it was going over the bar and then at the last minute it looked as if it was dipping in. Luckily for the team I managed to save it.

“Ultimately it’s a great three points for us and we’ve finished fifth in the league. I think if people had looked at the league at Christmas and we had said Motherwell would finish fifth I think they would probably have said we were mad.

“The boys have been fantastic over the last few months and it’s credit to them, not myself.

“I’ve only played two games. Connor Ripley’s been different class.”

Despite ’Well’s fifth place finish, Samson said the Motherwell players were disappointed not to finish fourth.

“The St Johnstone defeat was disappointing for us,” he added.

“But to bounce back tonight and get a 3-1 victory at a hard place to come in Dingwall was a very good result for us.”

Samson said he was “well up” for the challenge of taking on champions Celtic at Parkhead in the final league game of the season on Sunday.

“It’s a great game to finish the season with,” Samson said.

“If we can go there and upset a wee bit of their party then great.

“They’ve won the league and rightly so but hopefully we can go there and get three points and finish on a high for going into next season.”