He has only been training with Raith since the start of this week but new signing Grant Gillespie has already sensed a steely determination within the squad to win promotion back to the Championship.
Rovers boss Barry Smith has persuaded the former Hamilton and Dundee United midfielder to come to the League 1 side with Gillespie signing a two-year deal yesterday.
He admitted last season was a disappointing one for him but he has already set his sights on making this campaign one to remember both personally and for his new club.
The 26-year-old said: “I was on holiday last week when Cat (Raith assistant manager Kevin Cuthbert), who I know well from playing with him at Hamilton, gave me a call and just asked what my options were.
“He said Raith were keen to sign me and if we could get something sorted they would love to have me here.
“I spoke to my agent and my family. We just thought that after not playing a lot of games last season, this would be the right move at this time of my career.
“I am delighted to be here and I am just looking forward to the season ahead.
“I wasn’t worried at all about coming to League 1. When the opportunity came to sign here, I jumped at it.
“I looked at it and thought it is potentially a chance to win a medal, helping the club win the league.
“It will hopefully also be a chance to play 40 odd games.
“The boys were unlucky to lose out in the play-offs last season but there is a real determination to go one better and go up to the Championship.
“I have come here to have a successful season to hopefully put right what went wrong last season.
“I have only been here for a couple of days but I firmly believe that this group of boys – and obviously the gaffer will add more to that – can go all the way this season.”
Gillespie made his debut for Hamilton back in 2009 and he knows what it takes to win promotion having done so with Accies five years later.
He said: “That season we missed out on the title in the last game of the normal season but we took the momentum into the play-offs and beat Hibs.
“Once we went up, we had a great belief that we could kick on again and we did that.
“Hamilton established themselves as a top-tier team.
“So hopefully I can use that experience here.”
Gillespie found his chances limited at Hamilton last season after picking up an injury in September and he came to a mutual agreement with the club to leave in January.
He joined Csaba Laszlo’s Dundee United and he admits in hindsight going to Tannadice was the wrong move for him.
He said: “I got injured at the start of September and didn’t play much.
“We just came to an agreement in January that if I could find a club, they wouldn’t stand in my way as I had been such a loyal servant to them.
“So I decided to move on to Dundee United.
“Looking back, it probably wasn’t the best move for me as they weren’t doing too well and there was a lot going on at the club.
“But at the time, it was a move I couldn’t turn down.
“It never worked out and I didn’t get offered a new deal but that’s football so you just have to take it on the chin and move on.
“I thought when I played I did quite well and I was probably frustrated that I didn’t play more.
“I was disappointed (not to be offered a deal) but I have been in football long enough to know it is all about opinions.
“The manager’s opinion was that he didn’t want to offer me anything so it is what it is and you move on.”
Earlier this week, Laszlo expressed his frustration with how United was run last season, claiming that some players who had been signed had not had medicals.
However, Gillespie revealed he was not one of them.
He said: “I got a full medical so I don’t know where he got that from.”
