Joel Thomas has played everywhere from Kaiserslautern and Dinamo Bucharest to Colchester and Hamilton but he never thought that one day he would end up pulling on a Raith jersey.
That’s despite the fact his girlfriend and daughter stay in Kirkcaldy and her parents are big Rovers fans.
Now though, the man of many clubs is indeed a Raith player after signing a deal until the end of the season earlier this week with the striker making his debut on Tuesday night against Rangers at Ibrox.
The 28-year-old said: “I started training with the club at the end of January.
“I wasn’t on trial, I was just training and then I had to go back to France for administrative stuff.
“I then came back as my girlfriend Jennifer and I have a daughter together so it is not the first time I have been in Kirkcaldy, I know it well.
“So it is great to play here. We had joked about it happening a few times in the past but now I am a Raith player.
“Jennifer doesn’t follow football too much but she supports the team as they are from her town.
“Her parents are big fans of the club so it is good.
“I didn’t know I was going to sign eventually, I wasn’t thinking about that.
“Things happened and I felt I wanted to play and be involved.
“So now I have signed a deal until the end of the season and I am delighted, for sure.”
It was a real baptism of fire for Thomas making his Raith debut in front of 40,000 inside Ibrox.
Ray McKinnon’s side could not upset the odds against the league leaders and Thomas is now looking to get his first win as a Rovers player against St Mirren at home today.
He said: “I had signed the evening before we played at Ibrox.
“So I couldn’t have imagined playing there, I wasn’t even thinking about it.
“I have played there before for Hamilton. It is good to go there and you always look to get a good result.
“But it is always difficult against Rangers and they dominated the game.
“I thought we might have had some quick counter-attacks but we didn’t which was a bit disappointing.
“So we have to look to the next game now.
“I think if I get the chances, then sure, I will get goals.
“The target is to get into the play-offs, definitely.”
Thomas is, of course, not the first Frenchman to play for Raith recently with memories still fresh of other front men Gregory Tade and Christian Nade.
Now, Thomas is hoping he can be as popular with the fans as his countrymen were.
He said: “I played against Tade in Romania when he was at Cluj. He is a good player.
“I also know Christian Nade. I knew him when he was at Hearts during my first time in Scotland.
“They were popular with the fans so hopefully I can be as well.
“I will give everything but the results are the important thing.”