East Fife boss Gary Naysmith says he intends to get to the bottom of an unofficial approach for striker Nathan Austin.
Austin has bagged seven goals in East Fife’s first nine league games this season. He also turned heads with his man of the match performance against Premier League Motherwell in the League Cup.
However, Bayview gaffer Naysmith said there is a correct route for admiring bosses to go down.
Instead, said Naysmith, his star striker was being contacted directly by agents.
After watching Austin add another goal to his tally in East Fife’s 1-1 draw with Stirling Albion, the gaffer said: “A couple of managers have made contact with me and that’s all right.
“But I need to do a bit more digging because he got a call late on Friday night from an agent claiming to be from a Premier League club.
“To approach him unofficially and direct like that is bang out of order, so I’m going to be looking into that it’s not right,” he said.
“It’s a credit to him that he was able to put that to the back of his mind and score.”
East Fife started with two up front in Kevin Smith and Austin.
They created good chances early on, with Austin and Craig Murray getting in each other’s way after just a couple of minutes.
Pat Slattery was unlucky to watch his well-taken drive whistle inches past.
Austin was the next to go close, but Chris Smith somehow stopped his close-range strike.
However, when Ross McGeachie was woefully short with a header back to Smith, Austin raced in on goal and lobbed the Stirling keeper.
The visitors hadn’t impressed, but looked a different side after the break.
Ross Forbes wasted a glorious chance to pull his side level when he fluffed his shot from 12 yards.
After a period of pressure, just as it had in the first half, a goal looked inevitable.
Willie Robertson created space for himself in the home box and prodded a shot past Ryan Goodfellow.
In the closing stages Robertson was sent off for a second booking after hauling down Austin.