PAUL Warhurst summed up the frustration and dismay of his injury nightmare today when he admitted: "This is my worst season ever!"

The supremely talented defender - generally regarded as one of the most gifted players in the Wanderers' squad - has made only seven Premiership appearances in a season blighted by a succession of setbacks.

But he believes he could be on the verge of a long-awaited comeback and is doubly determined to help Wanderers keep their place in the Premiership.

"I'm running and kicking the football about now," said the 33-year-old Wanderer. "It's coming along really well."

Warhurst has had the frustration of living through more false dawns than he cares to remember but he is hoping that this time he will not have to endure the heartbreak of another relapse.

"To be honest, I haven't been right since the start of the season," he says in today's Wanderers' match programme.

"It's been one of those seasons where I've picked something up and something else has come along. The initial one was a hamstring during the Blackburn game. I had a tight hamstring and there was a little tear there, and whilst recovering from that, I tore my calf and struggled with that for

five or six weeks. I came back a little too early from that and broke down again.

"I feel good now. The calf feels good and the hamstring is fine."

Warhurst, who has been plagued by injuries in recent years, earned a new contract last summer on the strength of one of his most consistent seasons - 26 senior appearances, mainly of the highest quality.

This season he admits to being hit hard, emotionally, by a new spate of injuries.

"This has probably been the worst season on record for me," he says. "To say it has been frustrating would be an understatement."

But he is able to raise a smile at his own expense as he exaggerates: "If there was enough rope in the garage, I think I would have hung myself four or five times over. Its been that bad.

"I've been hell to live with. Ask my missus! It's been so frustrating.

"I don't like watching games at the best of times and this year has put the final nails into the coffin. Obviously, if you are not happy at work, you take that home with you. It's not been happy times but I've got four lovely girls and they've helped me to get through it this year. They've picked me up when I've been very down."

Expressing his determination to still play a part, Warhurst adds: "The important thing is that we stay up this season and I hope to have an effect on that in the last 10 or 11 games.

"I haven't played most of the season, so to get me fit would be like bringing in a new player."

And on his future: "My main aim is to play games. We'll just see what happens. I know the situation I've been in with my injuries and so does the gaffer. Come May we'll have a better picture."