Dunfermline Athletic have completed the signing of St Johnstone legend David Wotherspoon.
The Perth cup double-winner has been on Pars manager James McPake’s transfer wish list since last summer and has now put pen to paper on a one-year deal at East End Park.
The 34-year-old attacker will add experience, skill and versatility to McPake’s squad – and the manager was effusive in his praise of his newest recruit, who was part of Dundee United’s title-winning side at the tail end of last season.
The Pars boss said: “We are delighted to be getting a player, not just with his experience, but of his quality.
“This is a player who, less than two years ago, was part of a squad and came on in a World Cup.
“Before he came in to train with us last summer, he was at the CONCACAF Gold Cup with Canada.
“He is an international player, he has played in the Premiership in Scotland, a lot of games for Hibs as a kid right through, then a lot of games – and big games – for St Johnstone, as well culminating in winning a few trophies as well.
“He was really loved by St Johnstone for what he has done up there and rightly so – a real hero at that club.”
On what he is looking for from Wotherspoon, McPake said: “It is a new chapter for him, he will be desperate to come in and help our young group, that’s what we are asking him to do.
“He is a quiet leader, not somebody who screams and shouts but at certain points last season and down to injuries, we missed that a wee bit particularly when Kyle Benedictus was out.
“You have got somebody there, not just on the pitch on a match day or in training but when things are not going right that you have somebody who has been round the block.”
On Wotherspoon’s technical attributes, McPake added: “A clever range of passing, he can open defences up, he can score goals and he can set players up.
“We have a lot of good players that make really good forward runs – Matty Todd, for example, Ewan Otoo, Michael O’Halloran and Kane Ritchie-Hosler, with Kieran Ngwenya coming in the other day as well.
“Now we have a player in David, if those runs are getting made, nine times out of 10 David’s head is up and he will find the pass.”
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