Kieran Freeman has instantly set his sights on helping Raith Rovers reach the Premiership after penning a 12-month deal.
The former Dundee United and Southampton defender was unveiled as the Kirkcaldy club’s latest signing on Monday.
The 24-year-old was a free agent after leaving League of Ireland outfit St Patrick’s Athletic just four months into his contract.
That allowed him to return to Scotland, where he had spent four years with Dundee United before leaving for Dublin in February.
He insists Raith represent the perfect next stop in a senior career that began in 2016 with a move from United’s academy to Southampton.
And the right-back has lofty ambitions for the campaign ahead with Rovers, who finished runners-up in the Championship last season and then suffered Premiership play-off disappointment against Ross County.
He said: “I’m delighted to be here. I couldn’t wait to get back to Scotland and I probably couldn’t have picked a better club to come back to.
“And I’ve enjoyed my first few days.
“It’s a year-long contract and I think we’re both looking for it to be a successful one.
Freeman: ‘It’s a club with ambition’
“That means good performances, good results on the pitch and being part of a good group of boys.
“Being at United, I saw first-hand how close [Raith] made it. And I think it’s a club with ambition.
“I know every club has good aspirations, but I think this club is backing it up and it’s up to us to go even further this season.
“Personally, I just want to play as many games as possible and to play well.
“And, then, the manager will probably sit down with us and go through what the team’s ambitions are.
“But it would obviously be to be challenging for promotion.”
Freeman has admitted he was desperate to return to Scottish football after ten appearances for St Pat’s.
The sacking of ex-United striker Jon Daly as manager did not help him settle in Ireland.
But he is delighted to step in to the breach left at Raith by the departures of Ross Millen and the on-loan James Brown.
And it is another Brown – Scott, the Rovers skipper – who has helped Freeman settle into his new surroundings at Stark’s Park.
‘It’s nice to be back with him’
He added to Raith TV: “Everyone’s been brilliant so far. I think it’s a changing room of good guys.
“I was with Broony [on loan] at Peterhead and he’s exactly the same as he was at Peterhead.
“He’s so professional and it’s been nice to be back with him.
“I had a message from him, but I was all set – I wasn’t going to change [my mind] no matter what Broony said. I was always going to sign.”
Freeman joins Lewis Stevenson, Paul Hanlon, Callum Fordyce, Shaun Byrne, Kai Montagu and Lewis Gibson in signing for Raith so far this summer.
