Dunfermline Athletic

Sean Murdoch's first interview

Friday, 17th Jul 2015

"The best goalkeeper plays at the end of the day"

What’s it like to be back at East End?

"Different class – brilliant. It's good to see some old faces like yourself! The groundstaff, and hardworking people that have stuck by the Club. I still followed the Club and obviously it was great to see all the fans pulling together. It's great to be back, nothing much has changed, everything is still similar to the last time I was here.

There is no playing staff here that were here from the first time?

"No. not at all. The kit man is still here – that’s the real reason I signed – because of Mojo. He’s brilliant – he just brings you to life every morning. If you are having a dull day he’ll just get you right back up to positivity.

"When I was here we had a lot of experienced players, we had squads of 20 – 30 especially under Jimmy Calderwood. I was only in the youth team and managed to get on the bench when I was 16 years old and still at school! That was really enjoyable from a 16 year old now I am now coming up to 29. It's been a long time, but the personnel has certainly changed.

From the last time you were here – not many appearances, but loaned out?

"Having not made many appearances here I was loaned out to Forfar on two occasions and I played over 50 games then went on loan to Hamilton for the second half of the season and I played about 15 games. Then Hamilton signed me for a nominal fee. It was a bit strange as Dunfermline were going down the league and Hamilton were going up the league.

"I didn’t want to leave, but it was a good opportunity and I had the chance to be No.1. That’s the way it goes, the Club accepted the offer they got for me and that’s the way it was. I was at Hamilton for 3 years and then I went to Accrington Stanley for a year, then I went to Hibs for 2 years.

How did you end up in the States?

"I had a nice offer in America, it was a bit of life experience as well. It's something I always wanted to do and my partner, Chris, wanted to go as well. In the end we got a little bit homesick and missed family and friends.

"She wanted to come back home and so I had to make the decision to try and get my contract. The Club were happy enough in the end to let me get out my contract and I came here. I was made aware of his interest and came in for training and played a game and must have done enough to be offered a contract.

The manager has said that there would be competition for the goalkeeper position when he signed David Hutton

"I think it is great. It's great for the Club, great for the players and us as the goalkeepers. The best goalkeeper plays at the end of the day, who is training the best, who plays the best, so I need to make sure my performances are at the top end.

"I need to make sure my performances are top end so that I make the manager's decision easy to play me. If I am not performing, then I don’t expect to play. David Hutton is a good goalkeeper, but we are working well together, training well together and we will see how the season starts and take it from there.

So how much are you looking forward to being back at Dunfermline?

"Yes, I’m really looking forward to it, the aim is promotion so we will see how we get on. The squad is really good and they are hungry as well. Maybe that is something that in my first time the Club weren’t as hungry to get promotion but the boys are young and hungry to get promotion. Hopefully we will do well."

In the friendly against Queens Park – did what was in front of you impress you?

"Yes, absolutely. It was important to get a game before tomorrow's game, just to get familiar with the back four. They impressed me, they were good. It will be a bigger test tomorrow, Hibs are a good Club, I’ll see some familiar faces.

"It will be a good test tomorrow, but that is where you want to be, you want to be tested and we will see how we come up. It should be a good game."



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