New Dunfermline signing Liam Buchanan doesn’t mind facing his former team-mates at Firhill this Saturday.
The 25-year-old was snapped up by the Pars last week on an 18-month deal and looks set to play against Partick Thistle as the Fife side aim to maintain their title challenge.
Buchanan said he will not be fazed by coming out on to the Firhill pitch wearing Dunfermline colours.
“Obviously, when I signed I knew it was Partick that was coming up,” he said.
“However, you’ve just got to treat it like another game. You can’t concentrate on other teams, you just have to worry about yourself.
“It’s more about us getting a victory than me going back.
“It will be a bit strange playing against Partick players who I’ve been with over the last few years.
“However, you have to put that aside and get the points for Dunfermline, which matters the most.”AttackingBuchanan, who began his senior career at Cowdenbeath, said it was Dunfermline’s attacking style that lured him to East End Park.
“I like Jim McIntyre as a person and I like the way his team play,” he added.
“I like the way Dunfermline played whenever I faced them. I was lucky enough that he wanted to bring me here.”
He added, “I was aware of the interest a couple of weeks prior to it happening. I was just delighted to get the deal done and get here to meet the boys.
“There’s a good mix of players here. At the end of the day, everybody is wanting the same thing and that is to get Dunfermline back to the SPL.
“From what I’ve seen Dunfermline have been pretty consistent and hopefully I will add to the team and get a couple of goals.
“There’s a lot of competition up front so that gets you working hard.”
Pars boss McIntyre expressed his delight at capturing Buchanan.
He said, “It’s funny that Liam’s first game will be against Partick his first involvement with us will be against his old club.
“Football has a way of throwing these things up but he’s in the squad and I’m sure he is looking forward to going back there.”
He knows Dunfermline face a tricky game.
“I think Partick and Dundee are the two form sides at the moment,” he added.Fantastic”They’ve gone on a fantastic run of results so it will be a really tough game.
“I always thought Thistle would turn it around after a poor start as they have good players and a good manager.
“We played them the last time and it was a difficult game and a draw was probably a fair result between the teams.
“Firhill is always a difficult place to go. We had a good result there earlier on in the season and hopefully we can do the same again.”
Dunfermline have almost a full squad to choose from, apart from long-term absentees Steven Bell and Ross Jack.
Thistle have not been beaten in eight games, including a trip to Dunfermline that ended goalless, with manager Ian McCall’s assistant Ian Maxwell saying, “We are on a good run and we do not want it to stop.
“We went through to their place last month and were worthy of a draw.”
The Jags will be without front-man Simon Donnelly, who has a foot injury, but Jackie McNamara, Conrad Balatoni, John Robertson, Iain Flannigan and Martin Grehan have been included in McCall’s squad.