John McGlynn says Sam Stanton will come into his thoughts for a quick-fire debut in Sunday’s mouth-watering Fife derby against Dunfermline.
The former Dundee United and Hibernian midfielder agreed to join Raith Rovers on December 15 and, providing international clearance is promptly processed, will be able to face the Pars.
Stanton, 27, has been training with the Stark’s Park side for several weeks and, given how sorely the injured Brad Spencer has been missed in the Rovers’ last two outings, is pushing for a place.
The Fifers have followed a 15-game unbeaten run with successive defeats against Partick Thistle and Ayr United — all the while, Stanton has been shining behind the scenes.
Sam Stanton’s beauty against Dunfermline In the Play offs. @sstanton_11 pic.twitter.com/n45W4WFMkP
— DUFCCulture (@DUFCCulture) January 21, 2020
“He comes into my thoughts, absolutely,” McGlynn told Courier Sport. “He’s a very good player.
“Sam has been training for us for a while now and you can really see his quality coming through. We are delighted with how he’s looking.
“He’s going to be an extremely good addition to the squad and, to get him on a long-term contract [until 2024], is a positive move. He’s now 27 and has a lot of games under his belt.
“The only question now is coming into a game scenario. But having watched him in previous matches, I don’t have any fears about that.
“I’m very much looking forward to seeing what we’ve got in a Raith Rovers jersey.”
Sharpness
Stanton also has the benefit of relatively recent match sharpness, having arrived from Dundalk.
The League of Ireland run a summer schedule, meaning he was playing competitive football until November 19.
“Sam hasn’t struggled with the tempo and has done extra work,” added McGlynn.
“He was playing right up until the middle of November — big matches in Ireland — so his sharpness is not far away at all.
“It’s not like we are training him up after a long summer break so I’d have no fears about including him in the squad on Sunday.”
