As a former Dundee player, Kyle Benedictus is expecting a hot reception when he runs out at Tannadice today for Raith Rovers.
However, the 24-year-old has some surprise news for the boo boys – he grew up supporting Dundee United.
Benedictus spent seven years with the Dark Blues and was one of the heroes of the “Deefiant” season.
Yet he admits as a young lad, he supported the team in tangerine and even had a jersey with the name of his favourite player on the back – none other than current coach of Raith’s development squad Craig Easton.
Benedictus said: “As a former Dundee player, I am expecting a few boos. But they will not know, I was once a United fan!
“I had a season ticket for about eight years and used to go to games when I was younger with my auntie.
“I used to have Easton on the back of my top. He was my favourite player so it was incredible to see him coming in at Raith.
“I kept it quiet for years and no-one really knew.
“Obviously I signed for Dundee and once you are a professional, who you support goes out the window.”
United, of course, are managed by last season’s Raith boss Ray McKinnon.
He is someone Benedictus owes a big debt of gratitude to with the manager snapping him up for Rovers after he had been released by Dundee.
Despite that, the big centre-half will be going all out to make it four wins out of four so far for table-topping Raith.
He said: “Obviously Ray knows most of the boys but I don’t think that will matter, to be honest – it is all about 11 v 11 on Saturday.
“When I left Dundee that was the first year I had been without a club.
“So I was just wondering what was going to happen but then Ray gave me a call and said he would like to sign me.
“I would like to thank him for giving me the opportunity to play football again.
“I played every game last season apart from when I was suspended and that has given me a lot of confidence.
“But Ray knows me and he will realise I will just be desperate for three points on Saturday.
“I’ll do as much as I can to get them for the boys.”
Despite Raith’s blistering start to the season, no-one at the club is getting carried away just yet.
However, Benedictus believes that Raith boss Gary Locke has added some cracking signings such as his new centre-half partner Jean-Yves M’Voto and Declan McManus to what was already a good squad and there is no reason why they cannot go to Tannadice and pick up another three points.
He added: “It has been a great start but as a team, we know it is only three games.
“We cannot rest on our laurels and we have a big game on Saturday.
“You would expect United to be challenging at the end of the season but there is no reason why we cannot go there, put on a performance and get a victory.
“These are the games you look for at the start of the season when the fixtures come out – United and Hibs are the big ones.
“Every game in this league is tough but we know we have good players in our squad.
“I think we are really good going forward this year. Declan McManus and Lewis Vaughan are working really when together, Bobby Barr has come in and has been different class so if me and Jean can keep goals out we will be fine.
“He is always talking to me and I think we hit it off from the start. Long may it continue.
“People probably didn’t expect us to do so well last year.
“The new manager has come in and people were maybe thinking we wouldn’t do as well as we had done but we have made a good start and hopefully we can do even better this season.”
