Dundee United have moved quickly in the January transfer window, bolstering their attacking options with the capture of Alex Greive.
The 24-year-old New Zealand international joins on loan from St Mirren until the end of the season after finding game time difficult to come by in Paisley.
The move came soon after Courier Sport exclusively revealed that David Wotherspoon has also agreed a deal at Tannadice and will join up with his new employers on Monday.
United have stuttered slightly in recent times after a long unbeaten start to the Scottish Championship season.
Jim Goodwin’s side are neck-and-neck with Raith Rovers at the top of the division and are hoping that these players can help propel them back to the Premiership at the first time of asking.
What type of player is Alex Greive?
Goodwin was the man to bring Greive to the UK in January 2022, plucking him from the obscurity of New Zealand amateur football.
The United boss left St Mirren around a month later to take up the reins at Aberdeen but has retained a fondness for the striker.
After the deal was completed earlier this week, Goodwin told Dundee United’s official website: “Alex is a very intelligent player with good movement and an infectious work rate.
“He keeps a cool head in front of goal and will enjoy playing in our team given the number of chances we create on a consistent basis, complimenting the strikers we already have at the club.”
Greive has been used out wide a number of times at St Mirren but Goodwin’s comments suggest an intention to use him through the middle.
Looking beyond Alex Greive’s numbers
Nine goals in 76 appearances since joining St Mirren do not tell the full story.
Of his 56 Scottish Premiership appearances, just 17 have been starts, 39 have been from the bench. He has started just twice in the Premiership this season.
The striker has started a higher percentage of St Mirren’s cup games.
Again, most of them were last season when he started five of their matches across the Scottish and League Cups.
This campaign, Grieve started just one of their six domestic cup games.
All of which adds up to a player who has never had a sustained run of starts since he moved to Scotland, despite a spell of three goals in six appearances last season – starting and ending with a goal against Dundee United.
Greive has two strikes so far this season, both as a sub. One earned Saints a late win at Easter Road, the other should have been a winner if not for a late, contentious Bojan Miovski penalty at home to Aberdeen.
Pushed down pecking order
St Mirren signed several forward options in the summer, pushing Greive further down the pecking order.
The return of Jonah Ayunga from injury hasn’t helped and those tasked with leading the line at St Mirren so far this season have the side fifth at the halfway point in the Premiership.
One thing Greive has been up front about since he came to Scotland is his intention to earn international caps for New Zealand.
The 24-year-old earned his first just weeks after signing for St Mirren and has gone on to play another nine times for the All Whites, scoring twice.
That makes him St Mirren’s most capped player of all time.
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