Manager Allan Johnston’s latest signing joins us from Albion Rovers, 20 year old Euan scored seven goals for the league two side last season after moving to Coatbridge from Queens Park.
On joining Queens, the forward expressed his delight at being given a chance at a full-time club “I’m really happy, the Championship is a good level. Obviously I played last year with Albion Rovers in league two so it’s a good level to come to. I am still young but hopefully, I can play games and I can do well and we will see what happens”
Despite moving up the leagues, the frontman doesn’t fear the step up “The full time aspect of things is the big difference, being able to train every day is a big improvement rather than the two nights a week. If you are in every day you get to know players better and you’re always getting fitter and just improving your game. This is what I want to do with my life and I want to play at as high a level as possible so it’s a good move and I’m happy to get the chance”.
The opportunity of full-time football wasn’t the only thing that drew him to Palmerston “One of the big attractions being a striker was getting the chance to learn from Stephen Dobbie. He has been about and that’s what you need when you are younger to learn off players like that. As well as Stephen, Allan and Sandy have obviously played at a good level as well so it’s good being in training the past few weeks being around them”.
With a lot of the new signings admitting that the opportunity to learn from Dobs was an attraction it looks like he is going to be a busy guy – when that was put to Euan he laughed and said “exactly – all the younger boys want his advice. But for me, that’s who they should be looking at, especially the strikers. Just a couple of years ago he scored 40 odd goals so he is who you should be looking at. You want to try to emulate what he has done, you want to try and do what he has done because that is the kind of player that you want to get to. He has been helping with wee bits of advice – wee small things that you can tweak which is a great help”.
Asked what kind of striker he was himself Euan added “I’m not a poacher at all – I can hold the ball up as I’m strong but I like to run in behind. I’ve got a bit of pace about me so I like to get in behind and stretch the game a bit. I’ve got a bit of everything about me so I don’t just like to stand and poach”.
Will it be a competition between the strikers this season? “I don’t think it will be a competition; we will be happy whoever is scoring, wither it’s me, Stephen or Tommy, the rest will be trying to get assists because that’s what it’s about, trying to help the team win the game. Obviously it’s nice to score so I will be looking to score as many as I can. We like to attack but you have to defend as well but I enjoy going forward so I just want to get off the mark as quick as possible”.
Euan has already made an impact scoring three goals in our friendly matches against Dalbeattie Star and Threave Rovers and admits it’s strange without the fans backing “It feels like a training match just now but it will be weird when it is competitive and there is no one there, but hopefully it won’t be too long before fans get back”.
And he can’t wait for those competitive matches to get started “Looking at the Championship from the outside its one of those leagues that anyone can win any game, there will be favourites to win the league but it is always tight so your aim is always to go up or at least be in the play offs so that has to be what we are looking at. Personally, I’m looking forward to playing at this level and getting some goals and assists and seeing where it takes me after that but I am really happy to be playing at this level it’s a good level especially at 20 years old its good experience to be getting”.