Euan Murray - Player of the Month Award

Yet another Thomas assist -“I was dreading the photographers doing a picture of him delivering me the award - but they did it, I’m cringing at that!”

After being presented with the SPFL Championship Player of the Month for October, Pars captain Euan Murray told the media:-

“I am delighted to pick up an award any kind of individual award is always nice to pick up but the start we’ve had to the season - going seven games unbeaten with six wins - is definitely the most pleasing thing for me.

“It’s alright picking up individually but we win and lose as a team together. It’s been a great start to the season, we know that but we’ve got tough games coming up now and we don’t lose focus.”

In scoring two goals in the Betfred Cup game at home to Falkirk, Euan Murray became the first central defender to score twice in an official match for Dunfermline since Lee Ashcroft against Brechin City in the Challenge Cup in September 2016.

Although Euan had scored 9 times in his 92 games at Raith Rovers not many had Euan down as the replacement goalscorer after Kevin Nisbet’s departure to Hibs. The 26 year old defender who scored five times in October disagreed:-

“I’ve scored a few over the years so I fancied myself! No, you are only as good as your teammates and Dom [Thomas] has been unbelievable ever since we initially got him in on loan.

“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Dom, on and off the park, and the connection has just worked. I feel confident that I can get on the end of things when he is putting in deliveries. He has been on the money all season and that makes my life a hell of a lot easier.”

Appropriately Dom Thomas delivered the award to Euan since he has delivered everything else for him this season.

“I was dreading the photographers doing a picture of him delivering me the award - but they did it, so I’m cringing at that!”

The relationship goes back a long number of years since Euan and Dom were at Motherwell together and known each other since Dom was around 14.

“We came around the first-team together and he is someone I’ve always chatted with over the years when we have bumped into one another. I was delighted when he came to the club on loan last season because I know what he is all about and what he can do. It was a real coup to get him here on a permanent basis.”

Euan feels that Dom Thomas has maybe not always been given the opportunities to make an impact:-

“He perhaps felt he was due more of a chance at Kilmarnock but the wee man knows that he is loved here. The manager has a great deal of faith in him, as do all the boys.”

Determination is a quality that both Euan and Dom share and maybe that’s one of the reasons that they are so close. Neither were regular starts in the Motherwell first team and while Dom moved to Kilmarnock in July 2017, Euan was joining Raith Rovers having taken a circuitous route via Clyde, Stenhousemuir, Barrow and Southport. Euan continued:-

“I’ve always maintained that ever since I left Motherwell, my career has been a rebuilding process - and that is true to this day. I don’t feel like I am done. I can still do better for myself.

“That’s not to say I’m looking at higher league or whatever - it’s about becoming a better player. I come into training every day trying to better myself. I want to be the best player I can be and I’m at a great club to do that.

“It hit me when I left Motherwell that I had to be like that. I knew that, after dropping down the leagues, that I would need to do things the hard way. Some people accept that and graft, like myself. Others don’t. I’ve seen a lot of players with plenty of potential just peter out the game.

“Dom has had a similar upbringing, leaving Motherwell, going to Kilmarnock and that didn’t work out for him. We both have that inner drive and for someone who is a winger you don’t get personalities like that. Dom is very good around the dressing room, I would say that he is a leader which is maybe a bit odd for a wide player. He wants to go and better himself as we all do.”

Stevie Crawford placed his faith in Euan by appointing him club captain for the 2020-2021 season but Euan played down any contribution that may have made:-

“The big thing for me is, whether you are manager or captain or anyone else, you need to be yourself - and it so happens that I’ve always been loud! I want to win games of football and, as I touched on when I got the armband, it isn’t about me. It is definitely not about me. It’s about Dunfermline winning games and thankfully we’ve had a good start to the season. But that counts for nothing if it doesn’t continue. I’ll be driving everyone on to keep it going.”

Goals might be harder to come by in future as opponents pick up on the threat that Euan is at setplays and corners and he felt that at Ayr on Saturday that there were two people picking him up at times.

“That’s happened a couple of times. So teams are starting to get closer and have people picking me up - but that’s fine because it’s not all about me. I’m not the only person Dom can hit. Paul Watson has scored, he has had an assist when he headed one back across for Ryan Dow and is he always a threat so we have different options.

“The coaching staff are really good in terms of being creative and thinking outside the box - and if opponents want to get tight on me then hopefully that leaves options and space elsewhere.”

The goals from setplays are as much a success for the coaching staff and Euan revealed that they all work really hard:-

“It’s a joint effort from the coaching staff. Owain Fon Williams working with the goalies and Stevie Whittaker are passing on unbelievable experience. If you can’t learn from those guys, then you aren’t going to learn from anyone.

“Greg Shields has come into the first-team along with the assistant manager Dan [Jason] Dair has been brilliant. We have so many ideas and they are all playing their part in the successful start to the season.”

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