SEAN MURDOCH revealed yesterday that he won’t be content to understudy Roddy McKenzie this season—he wants to pinch the first-team jersey from him, writes Graeme Dey in La Manga with Dunfermline.

Murdoch has returned to Dunfermline following loan spells at Forfar and Hamilton last term and after the departure of Dorus de Vries, signed by Swansea, has been installed as back-up to the more experienced McKenzie.

But rather than warming the Pars’ bench, he aims to see active service. “I’ve come back here with the intention of getting in the team,” he said.

“I’m 21 this year and looking for a game. If we’d stayed up in the SPL, I might have struggled for a chance. But we’re in the first division now and I am confident I could do a job for the club there.”

Murdoch played 18 times for Forfar before an 11-match stint with Accies, and he feels those loan spells have brought him on leaps and bounds.

“I benefited hugely from going out on loan and playing first-team football in front of crowds,” he said.

“There’s no substitute for playing games that matter. Reserve football does nothing for you. You are better going out on loan.

“I played in an 8-0 defeat by Peterhead when Forfar had only eight fit players, three guys playing injured and then went and had two players sent off!

“We were lucky only to lose by eight but it was an experience and you learn something from every experience.”

Murdoch’s time in the First Division with Hamilton also furnished him with a grasp of what lies in front of the Pars.

“From what I saw last year it’s going to be a hard league to get out of,” he said.

“I would think that St Johnstone are going to be our main rivals and I can also see Dundee being there or thereabouts.

“But the thing about the First Division is it’s so competitive. Take Hamilton, for example, they only lost two games at home all season.”