Michael McKenna insists the incredible backing from Arbroath fans makes him proud to represent the Angus town in the Championship.
McKenna has been with Lichties since January 2018 and helped the club firmly establish itself in Scottish football’s second tier.
The Edinburgh-based electrician is a number of players making significant journeys to training and games.
But he is happy to go the extra mile for Arbroath and regularly engages with the fans off the park by signing autographs and engaging with social media posts.
And McKenna says he feels very much at home at the Angus club.
“The fans are good here,” McKenna told Courier Sport.
“Football is about opinions and fans like to prove their opinion is right.
“If they have a certain opinion on a player they will make a point of letting people know that – whether it’s good or bad.
“But at this club, there’s not much negativity. That’s quite unusual in football.
“I feel really supported as a player at Arbroath and, as players, that makes our mind up about staying and playing here.
“It’s a lot of travelling to come to play for Arbroath for many of us but we feel a big part of the community here.
“We feel appreciated and valued by the fans and are proud to represent the town of Arbroath in the second tier of Scottish football.”
Arbroath fans stayed loyal to their side last year as they battled against relegation.
Crowd numbers rose at Arbroath last season by 21.9%, with an average of 2,152 watching them clinch a fifth successive season of Championship football.
And with Arbroath now up to fourth place after four successive wins, McKenna hopes the Gayfield crowds will begin to soar.
Michael McKenna hopes to see spike in Arbroath attendances
“Everyone needs each other at a football club,” said McKenna.
“If we don’t perform on a Saturday then some fans may not come back.
“If that happens then it makes us feel like we don’t have a good support.
“Thankfully, it’s never been the case at Arbroath. I’ve always felt backed by the fans here.
“We’re playing well right now and if we can keep these performances up then the numbers will go up in the crowd.
“We aren’t getting too carried away. It’s game by game.
“We’re setting a template with our performances. We know what we are capable of and wherever it takes us, it takes us.”
Meanwhile, McKenna is hoping Arbroath can convince Jermaine Hylton to sign an extended deal.
Ex-Motherwell and Ross County star Hylton has made a big impact in recent weeks and he bagged another assist and goal in the 4-0 victory over Airdrieonians.
“I remember watching Jermaine when he played in the Premiership,” said McKenna.
“He was a great player to watch so it was brilliant to see him come here.
“He’s got a bit of creativity and isn’t afraid to try things. You need one or two players in your team like that.
“I don’t know what his situation is but I do know he really enjoys it here. That’s half the battle.
“If he enjoys it here, he’s more likely to want to stay and I hope we hang onto him.”
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