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EXCLUSIVE: Ian Murray gives lowdown on Raith Rovers’ new 6’8 striker John Frederiksen

John Frederiksen was unveiled at Stark's Park last week. Photograph: Tony Fimister.
John Frederiksen was unveiled at Stark's Park last week. Photograph: Tony Fimister.

Raith Rovers manager Ian Murray says new striker John Frederiksen was on his radar for a while – and not just because of a drawn-out visa process.

The 6’8 Faroese international agreed terms weeks ago but he and the club have had to wait patiently as the work permit paperwork was processed.

His signing has now been officially announced by the Kirkcaldy club.

Frederiksen was a free agent and has signed for Raith until the end of the season.

The 26-year-old is Danish-born but represents the Faroes Islands at international level.

Frederiksen has turned out for clubs in Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland and most recently for SKU Amstetten in the Austrian second tier.

He played 28 times for them, scoring five times – after recovering from a brain tumour.

Mobile for a big lad

Rovers manager Ian Murray says Frederiksen adds a “focal point” to the side, so often lacking at points this season.

“He’s obviously a big lad and he’s an athlete,” Murray told Courier Sport.

“He’s not immobile, he can move on the video footage we saw.

“It will give us a focal point in our team, it would also give the other team something to think about.

I know as a defender the first thing I look at if I was a centre-half it would be f***ing hell, I don’t want to play against 6’8 – it’s as simple as that.

“You don’t like 6’3, never mind 6’8. But then we have to provide service to him, he’s not going to be a one-man team.”

Time to adapt

As well as this Murray warns that the player will need time, and help, to settle into the club and a new country.

“He’s going to need a lot of help to adapt to a new style of football and a lot of help to adapt to being on his own in a new country in particular,” adds the Rovers manager.

“But he’ll certainly provide us with something that’s different for the league and he’ll provide us with something different.

Murray revealed that the mission to sign Frederiksen took a while, well predating the lengthy visa process.

“He was on our radar for a while, to be honest, we’ve had an eye on him for some time,” says Murray.

“But again, with the rules and regulations which have come in in the last year or so, certain clubs can’t do what we’re trying to do because they’re not set up to do it, that’s the bottom line.

“Full credit to the staff that they have that – because without that, without one piece of paper we wouldn’t be able to get that over the line.”

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