Dicey enjoying Dumfries

"I have found the love of football again which I needed to do. I am really enjoying myself with a great group of boys ...

For the Championship match against Dunfermline on Saturday, Queen of the South played former Pars captain Callum Fordyce at right back. The 25 year old found it a strange experience and told this website:-

"I move between the two roles, centre back and right back. When I am needed I can play there. It is always a bonus if I can play both positions."

Callum has now made as many appearances as he did in the whole of last season while at Dunfermline. In 2016-2017 season he started most matches in the Development League and it was one of the regulars in that side that by twist of fate, he had to mark on Saturday.

"I know Callum Smith very well and I knew what to expect when I was up against him. It was all about reading the game and knowing when to go tight. You know that he is going to try and go in behind at times but I thought we defended well.

"Dunfermline are a good team with good attacking players, it would be good if we had won but the good thing is that we did not lose. They are maybe happier with the point than we are because it`s an away point.

"We had good chances and on another day we could have scored them. That is football. I felt that we won the midfield battle which was important and that got us a foothold in the game especially in the first half.

"I thought we picked up the second balls well and spread the passes about at times down the sides and we caused them a lot of problems in the first half.

"In the second half Dunfermline came out and won a couple of corners early doors. We just had to ride that early storm, we did that and it was an open game in the end because both teams were trying to win it.

"We are disappointed with just the point and the chance I missed is going to haunt me all night. I didn`t really expect big Jason (Kerr) to backheel it to be honest. It just landed at my feet and I sclaffed my shot, I should probably have scored and disappointed that I never put it in the net.

"You always want to do well against a former club. It is 90 minutes of football, no bad blood you just want to do well. I know a lot of the lads and am pals with a lot of them."

One opponent more than any other troubled Callum since all the way through his career both at Livingston and at Dunfermline Jason Talbot has always been his team mate.

"It was weird coming up against him. I think I have played eight years professionally and this is the first season that I have not played in Jason`s team."

A leg and ankle injury sustained in a match against Ayr in September 2015 ended Callum`s debut season at Dunfermline. After Lee Ashcroft was red carded in the Pars opening league game of the following season, Callum was called into action possibly earlier than he would have wanted.

Returning to competitive action at Easter Road on 13th August 2016 Callum was lacking match sharpness and then after working that up in the Development League matches found it hard to get a first team place as Callum Morris and Lee Ashcroft came together in central defence. Callum left Dunfermline at the end of last season and is delighted to have rediscovered himself at Palmerston Park:-

"I have found the love of football again which I needed to do. I am really enjoying myself with a great group of boys and the manager and Dougie Anderson (his assistant) have got me to a level that I know that I should have been at. There have been no problems with my injury since I got the second operation."

All through his recuperation period Callum had the company of fellow injured team mate Ryan Williamson and Callum added how pleased he was to see his sidekick gain two Scotland U21 caps in the last week.

"I spoke to him after the first game and there is no one happier for him than what I am. All the time we spent in rehab and the work we did in the gym were worth it. I know how hard he worked and his passion for the game. It was brilliant to see him get the credit that he deserves for getting there. I do not think people realise how tough it can be.

"It helped me massively having Ryan alongside me spurring me on. If Ryan and Kenny (Murray) had not been there I would have fallen right away. Having people there in the background with you is brilliant, you always keep each other going.

"Ryan is one of my best pals now. It shows the character that you have to have. If somebody is in the same situation you can bounce off each other."

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