Strange game says Chris Higgins

"Up until the Manager tells me that he wants me away, I want to play for Dunfermline and hopefully I can have a bigger role than last season.

Despite being transfer listed Chris Higgins is delighted to be back in the Pars team. He returned in the 5-1 win at Stirling Albion after being omitted from the Co-operative Insurance Cup tie against Clyde:-

"The Manager spoke to me before the Clyde game and said that a few players needed games and not to read anything into not playing. I came back in against Stirling and we did really well. Obviously we lost a goal but we got the result we needed and that's the most important thing. Chris Smith made a few good saves but that's what he is there for. He pulled off a couple of good saves at crucial times.

Jim McIntyre was critical of the defensive mistakes in the defeat to Raith Rovers and Chris added:-

"A couple of mistakes can change games. Up until Raith Rovers scored we were solid at the back. They scored and it gave them a bit of confidence and we wilted a bit."

On a personal score nevertheless, Chris is confidently looking forward to the rest of the season:-

"That's me started the first four games in the league. If you are not playing well then there is somebody to step in; you need to keep playing well.

Central defensive partners: Chris Higgins and Andy Dowie

"There is competition for places all over the park; there are four centre backs and all four of us can play at full back as well so there are six defenders who can play full back or centre half if somebody is injured. There are four wingers, four central midfielders and three strikers so there is plenty of competition all over the park. It keeps you on your toes."

All this is a far cry from the day in April this year when Jim McIntyre told Chris who had started 16 games that season and made four appearances off the bench, that he was free to go and find a new club:-

"The Manager spoke to me after training in the last week of the season. It wasn't nice to hear but the Manager told me I was free to leave. I didn't want to leave. I still want to play here as all the boys are great, training is good and we have a really good side that will hopefully challenge for the league. If a team had come in for me, maybe I would've been away but it didn't happen so I got my head down and worked hard. He spoke to me and said the same thing had happened to him at Reading but he'd managed to turn it round and played most of the games that season."

Chris was also aware of the same sort of thing happening to Lee Bullen when Jimmy Calderwood told him that he could leave and then finding himself in the squad that went all the way to the Scottish Cup Final in 2004.

Central defensive partners: Neil McGregor and Chris Higgins

"Football is a strange game at times and can change from day to day."

And strangely enough it was the summer signing of Alex Keddie from Ross County that looked to have put paid to Chris getting first team football at Dunfermline which gave Higgins an opportunity.

"I just worked hard over the summer to come back fit for pre season. I didn't think I would be playing at the start of the season but it was unfortunate for Alex Keddie that he was suspended for the first two league games. He had been in the team but it was fortunate for me, I needed to take my chance when it came, and I feel as though I have. I hope I can stay in the team by playing well; if we keep winning then hopefully I will.

"Up until the Manager tells me that he wants me away, I want to play for Dunfermline and hopefully I can have a bigger role than last season. I'm not thinking long term, I just want to do well for the team and concentrate on Dundee next weekend as that's a huge game for us."

Jim McIntyre summed up the situation re Chris Higgins:-

"I had a similar situation when I was at Reading and I was told I could leave as I was in the last year of my contract. I knuckled down and worked hard and ended up playing 40-odd games that season so nothing is ever set in stone. We made the decision to say to Chris he could move on but he's worked his backside off. Alex Keddie's suspension gave him an opportunity and he's taken it and done well enough to keep the jersey. He has a fabulous attitude and he's a model professional who never gives you a minute's bother."