The 23-year-old netted his first goal of the season to secure Saturday`s 1-0 win at Stevenage, a result which moved the Cobblers up to 15th in the table - five points off the drop zone but only four points shy of the play-off places.
Gilligan has been struggling with an ankle problem so far this term but has opted to continue to play on. He told the Northampton Chronicle & Echo: "The operation still needs to go ahead. I keep reading that `Ryan doesn't need an operation' and this and that, but the fact is I do need it and I'll have it done in the summer.
"There are more important things than me having an operation, trying to get the club out of the position we're in is more important and if the manager sees fit to play me then I'm going to put myself on the line.
"The lads have had a bit of stick recently that the group of players isn't good enough but we know that we are, we've always had belief in ourselves and the manager has always had belief in us.
"That's the most important thing. We've got some big games coming up and we need to make sure we capitalise fully on them. I think it's going to be an exciting time. We're relishing the prospect of dealing with the pressure that we're under."
Source: PA
Source: PA