Thommo's time to turn it on

After seven years at Dunfermline this 21 year old is one of the longest serving players at the Club.

Ryan Thomson is only 21 but he has been at Dunfermline since he was a 14 year old. From a position of feeling like the baby of the squad last season, the comings and goings since May means that he now feels like a long serving player.

"It is funny looking around and seeing so many young faces. I am getting older now, I am not a young boy anymore and need to be getting games. It is going to be a big year for me and one where I need to kick on."

Ryan started 11 SPL games last season, came off the bench 14 times and also made four more appearances in cup games. He felt that was good but would be much happier if he could hold down a regular starting place.

"I started twice at Parkhead and gained a lot of experience against teams of a higher quality. Hopefully that will stand me in good stead."

Ryan chipped in with a couple of goals which is something expected by midfielders. His goals were against Kilmarnock and against Hibs but that is something he would like to do more of: since he was a very regular contributor as he came up through the Dunfermline youth system. He can't wait to get back into action and the friendlies cannot come thick and fast enough:-

"Friendlies in pre season are first and foremost for fitness. You also need to get used to playing with the new boys and they all need to get used to playing with each other. It is a massive thing working as a team; you don't always need to be the most talented squad - if you are a hard working team you can go far, I have seen it before. Gelling as a team is the big thing. In friendlies no one really complains about not being in the starting eleven, it is just about fitness."

Make an early impression will be every player's aim and none more so than Ryan:-

"Competition is always a good thing, it pushes you on and makes you try harder but this is my last season under contract and I need to make my mark."

Ryan knows what it is like to come through the youth system and then have to hold on before making first team appearances. He was loaned out to Albion Rovers where he felt his game developed greatly while playing first team football. It was just the Third Division but he encountered bigger and stronger players that prepared him for what was to come when he was included in the Pars first team. With the advent of a new youth league Ryan considers that this might be beneficial to those progressing through to the periphery of the first team squad:-

"The under 20 League will be a benefit for the likes of Shaun Byrne; he has shown that he is a good player but sometimes when you come up into the first team squad you don't get many games. There might not be many reserve games so for him to have that option is good."