Lewis Toshney has expressed his delight at joining Dundee United just a year after fearing his career was on the slide.
Twelve months ago Toshney had just reached the end of a short-term contract with Cowdenbeath, whom he had joined having been released by Ross County.
He got a call from then Raith Rovers manager Ray McKinnon offering to give him a deal at Stark’s Park, an opportunity he grasped with both hands and enjoyed a terrific season.
Now the Dundee-born defender finds himself signing a three-year deal with United in the knowledge that McKinnon, now in charge at Tannadice, views him as one of his key players for the forthcoming Championship challenge.
He is now exactly where he wants to be in his career after anxious times caused by injury and uncertain employment prospects.
Toshney said: “I’m delighted to be here.
“It has dragged on for a couple of weeks but the gaffer got me in so it’s good to just get it over the line.
“He took a gamble on me when he took me from Cowdenbeath to Raith and he has shown faith in me again.
“At one stage, I was worried big-time about where my career was going.
“That’s when I needed to believe in myself.
“I had injuries as well and was out for 17 months so was thinking to myself: ‘What am I going to do here?’
“I just couldn’t get over the knee injury I had at the time.
“But thankfully I got back training again and have never looked back since.
“I had been at Ross County for six months (at the start of 2015) when Jimmy Nicholl, who was manager at Cowdenbeath, gave me a call.
“I got the chance to come back down the road and I enjoyed my time there, although they ended up getting relegated.
“We were full-time and in training every day but we were still on our knees.
“So it was such a relief when Ray came on the phone and asked me if I fancied joining Raith.
“He told me I would get back on track and would be playing every week, as long as I was doing well.
“I wanted to repay him with performances and I thought I did that.
“I enjoyed my time at Raith and when he wanted me to come with him to United I was delighted.
“It was too good an opportunity to turn down, coming to a massive club like this.”
Toshney has been give the squad number six and, as things stand, is pencilled in for a right-back role by McKinnon.
“He’s played me in just about every position,” said the former Celtic man, who also had a spell on loan at Dundee.
“I have been versatile for most of my career, playing right-back, centre-half and even midfield, where he moved me near the end of last season.
“As long as I’m playing first-team football every week, I’ll play anywhere.
“It doesn’t really matter to me.”
McKinnon’s desire to get Toshney on board was evident in the fact that United made four bids for him.
The player revealed that he wasn’t always confident that the move would go ahead, despite putting in a transfer request.
He said: “It got to the second bid and it got knocked back, then the third bid went in.
“I thought to myself: ‘If that’s turned down then I need to get my Raith head screwed on and focus on them.
“But the fourth bid went in and I was just delighted it was accepted.”
Toshney, of course, brings with him from Kirkcaldy experience of a Championship promotion battle, one in which Rovers acquitted themselves extremely well.
Asked if he will now be expected to pass on that knowledge of the division to his new teammates, Toshney replied: “A lot of the boys will know what to expect because at a big club like United you need to win games.
“And that’s what we’ll be trying to do in every single match.
“I’ve been through the play-offs with Raith and it was hard coming fourth because you have to play six games to get promoted.
“We will be going for the league here at United.
“Hibs are strong and Raith could surprise people, too, but what the gaffer will do is instil a winning mentality here.”
