The signing of Montrose new boy Elijah Simpson was months in the making, Stewart Petrie has revealed.
And the Mighty Mo fought off other clubs to secure his signature.
Montrose announced the signing of the 25-year-old on New Year’s Day, with the forward making his debut in their 2-0 win over East Fife.
That suggested a quick turnaround.
Three months in the making
However, player and club had actually been in contact for around three months.
“We’re probably going back to October that we first had a look at him,” boss Stewart Petrie explained to Courier Sport.
“A few things happened then we eventually got a bit of training and a bounce game.
“We just had to be patient until his clearance came in January.”
The former Farnborough attacker had attracted interest from other clubs with trials elsewhere.
But Petrie is delighted to have secured Simpson and will add a new dimension to the Mo front line.
“He had trials with other teams in Scotland as well, but he came in and enjoyed the training and how we want to work,” he said.
“It was then we realised he was something different and we don’t have at the moment as a number nine.
“It’s great to have him on board now and it gives us a new option to what we have.”
Simpson’s ‘excellent’ debut
Petrie, who’s still in isolation due to Covid, got to see his new forward in action on Sunday, albeit through a live stream from Bayview.
Simpson was involved in the first goal, setting up Graham Webster with a clever pass, before Mo’s talisman crossed on for Blair Lyons to poke home.
The 'Mo remain just 5⃣ points off the L1 summit after Sunday's win in Fife 💪@BlairLyons1 with both goals in a 2-0 win ⚽️⚽️#cinchL1 | @MontroseFC pic.twitter.com/sIpQEgGM7x
— SPFL (@spfl) January 3, 2022
Although not fully match fit just yet, the debutant put on an impressive display.
“I thought he was excellent on Sunday, from what I’d seen,” Petrie said.
“Once we get him up to speed and match fit, he’ll be a big asset for us.
“He’s not overly tall, but he’s a strong lad that holds the ball. He’s intelligent and he knows the game really well.
“If we can get good balls into his feet and into that area, he’s certainly going to get us up the pitch.”