Freddie Frans has begged Partick Thistle to deal him in as he looks to continue his love affair with the club and life in Glasgow.

The big Belgian defender is out of contract in the summer, but he has his heart set on remaining a Jag after thoroughly enjoying his time at the club so far.

Despite an injury-hit season, Frans is hoping he has done enough to persuade manager Alan Archibald that he merits an integral role in his plans for next season and beyond.

“I one hundred percent want to stay,” he said. “I’ve had a great time here for three years, and ok, this season has been a bit stop-start, but I think the games I have been involved in were good.

“I’ve been a bit unlucky with injuries, and I seem to have been picking up really small, silly things that have been keeping me out for a week or two here and there.

“Every time I lost my spot because of it, but that’s the way it is here because we’ve got three really good centre-backs.

“I needed to stay fit to stay in the team, and on that point, my luck just wasn’t in this season.

“That’s life though, and I never had a moment here – even when I was on the bench for nine or ten games- that I thought I needed to leave.

“I’ve always felt appreciated here, and so for me it’s a good place to stay. Some people don’t know how good they have it until they leave.

“I hope I can prove something in the coming games and I hope they want me to stay.”

Frans’s problems on the injury front must seem irrelevant compared to the traumas he has recently gone through in his personal life.

Firstly, his family suffered a loss, and then he was back home in Leuven on the outskirts of Brussels when the recent terror attacks took place at Zaventem Airport.

If anything though, these experiences - and particularly the support of everyone at Partick Thistle - have convinced him more than ever that Glasgow is the place he wishes to remain.

He said: “Everyone here has been better than I could have ever imagined.

“With the situation, the gaffer said I could do what I want really. If I wanted to take a flight home, even if I was missing games, he said that family comes first.

“He’s not only our coach, he’s a really good person and I can’t say enough good things about him.

“I don’t think the club could have been more supportive, and I was really happy with that. It was really important for me.

“The terror threat in Belgium is still going on, every day you read reports of how they have arrested a new guy, and the airport is still only partially open.

“People are trying to rebuild their lives again and try to show that we’re not scared, but obviously it’s not a nice situation.

“The people are reacting with solidarity and that shows the country is together.

“From the first day in Glasgow though I felt safe, and I get a good feeling here.

“Of course, anything could happen at any moment, but at this moment I prefer it here.

"For your first experience abroad you could end up in bad places and maybe have a bad experience, but I’m in Glasgow and that just adds to my reasons for wanting a new contract.

“I really love it here, I could even see us having a life here and staying here forever. I wouldn’t be the first player to do that and stay here after their career I don’t think.

“It’s a good place to live with nice people. I’ve made lots of friends here, and while you never know what the future brings, that’s how I feel about Glasgow. I could spend my life here.”