Glentoran star wants 'to forget about what happened' after returning from lengthy suspension

Connolly was involved in an unsavoury brawl after the final Premiership match of last season when the Glens missed out on automatic European qualification against Larne at Inver Park.

The 30-year-old was forced to sit out of their play-off semi-final defeat to Cliftonville before missing the opening 11 matches of the current season.

Connolly made his Premiership return in last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Ballymena United and will hope to be involved once again in Saturday’s clash with Crusaders at Seaview.

Now back on the pitch, former St Mirren attacker Connolly wants to repay the faith Glentoran have shown in him during a difficult time.

“I want to forget about what happened against Larne, put it behind me and let my football do the talking,” he said. “I’ve had months to think about it and I never want to find myself in that situation again.

"I’ve worked incredibly hard to make sure that when my chance came to step back onto the pitch I’d be ready.

“Now it’s about looking forward, not back. I just want to get back to doing what I love, playing football, helping this team win games and making sure I’m being talked about for the right reasons.

"I owe it to the club, to the supporters who’ve backed me and to myself to make this a big season.”

Glentoran have already visited Crusaders this season, leaving North Belfast with a 2-0 league triumph in August, and are looking to keep the pressure on leaders Coleraine.

“We’ve made a really positive start to the season,” added Connolly. “Yes, we’ve had a couple of disappointing results, but the way we responded against Ballymena showed the character and quality in this squad.

"We didn’t panic, we trusted the way we play and we delivered a professional performance to get back to winning ways.

“Going to Seaview is always a massive challenge. It’s a tight pitch, Crusaders are a physical side and they know how to make it a difficult afternoon for anyone who goes there.

"We went there earlier in the season and put in a really strong performance, but we know it will be a different test this time. They’ll be up for it and so will we.

“I didn’t play in the last meeting between the two sides, so I’m really looking forward to hopefully being involved this time.

"I just want to keep getting minutes on the pitch and contributing to the team. We know it’s going to take a big performance and we’re ready for that challenge.”