KEVIN Amankwaah is confident of being fully fit for pre-season after having a successful operation to rectify a long-standing knee injury.

The former Swansea defender has not figured regularly this season after playing an integral role during the Robins' play-off run last year.

Amankwaah had to watch on from the sidelines as Town's relegation to League Two was confirmed with the 3-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday last month, as the decision was made by the club's medical staff to put him under the knife before the season's end.

While the rest of his teammates jet off on holiday, Amankwaah will remain at the club for a further week for physiotherapy on his knee, but he is adamant that he will be fit and raring to go when all the players return to the County Ground for the start of pre-season training.

“The operation was a success,” he said. “It was hard not to play in the final games of the season and help the boys out of the situation they were in, but I had to get it done because it was really painful.

“It was an old injury that I aggravated doing work in the gym. I tried to play on through it but obviously I was not 100 per cent so I had to get it done as I would not be able to do my job properly with the injury.

“I had a sit down with the physio, had a scan and the specialist said it was the right time to have an operation.

“It all went well and I have started running now. By the start of pre-season I will be ready to join the boys.”

Despite the injuries he has had this season, Amankwaah does not feel he ever reached the standards he has set himself on the occasions he did take to the pitch.

“It has been a hard season for me,” he continued. “I have had a lot of injuries this year which have not helped, but I am not going to use that as an excuse.

“When I have been on the pitch I have not been as good as I was last year, I don’t know what that is down to but I am hoping to hit the ground running next year.”

Amankwaah will be watching with intrigue in the coming days to see who the Town board hand the task of guiding the club to an immediate promotion from League Two.

Paul Bodin has been in caretaker charge for the last two weeks and has expressed an interest in the job, and Amankwaah has enjoyed his time working with the former Wales international, even if he has not been fit enough to figure for him.

He said: “I think he has done a good job. He stepped in for the final two games of the season and he was relishing the chance.

“To get a win on the final day of the season I am sure he will be really happy about. He brought in some youngsters and they did really well.

“I am sure the board will think hard and long about who they will appoint. Whether it is Paul Bodin or whether they bring another manager in I am sure they will be up to the job because the board will want to make the right decision.

“I am looking forward to seeing who the new manager is.”