Craig Dargo Q & A

Dargs made his first start for the Pars and fittingly he was featured in The Game, Dunfermline's match programme.

It's been a great season so far, with a few strong wins under your belt - how do you feel Jim Jefferies vision for Dunfermline is shaping up?

His vision is great. With the amount of boys who have left and new ones that have come in it was going to be difficult for them to gel right away.He brought in a lot of young boys and a few eyebrows were raised but the gaffer knows his stuff - he has been around for a long time and knows a player when he sees one.I think he is shaping it for the future and not just this season.  He has brought in good young players like Josh, Ryan, Stephen Husband, and big Callum, good young players that hopefully if they can stay together for a few years could shape Dunfermline and set them in good stead for the future.

You have a lot of experience playing in the top rung of football, what advice would you give to the younger, less experienced players in the First team?

To be fair to a lot of them, they have played games and will learn from their own experiences.Sometimes it helps to just talk them through a wee bit and encourage them.You want them to do the right things and they will make mistakes but just tell them to keep taking the ball and if they make a mistake, go and get the ball again and not to let it affect them.Its just trying to encourage them to do the right things.To be fair, they do listen and learn and it is showing in every game.In training you can see the boys are gelling together a lot more.The more games they play, the more experience they will get.

As well as playing for the First team, you're sharing coaching duties of the U20s with John Potter, what's that like and how do you balance both roles?

I love it.It's great to be in the dual role of training and being involved with the first team and helping to coach the U20s.They are a great bunch of kids.They are willing to learn and we have had some good results this season as well. It's great for me as I still get to play in the 20s and my match fitness is there.  Playing with the 20s I can help them on the pitch and John is looking on from the sidelines where he will see a different game from the one I can on the pitch. Balancing it, John and I will maybe do separate days depending really on what the Manager wants or what he needs for training.

Its good, the kids are good and I think you can see a couple of them blending into the squad which is a reward for their performances with the 20'sYou will have seen Allan Smith, Shaun Byrne and we have got Kerr (Young) and Grant (Munro) as well who can come in, just to name a few.It goes to show that if they do well in the 20's then there is a reward for them and they can make the step up so its good.

John is a big daft lad and has fun in training etc, but on the sidelines in a match day he gets his serious face on and gets it done properly.  He has done his badges and is a very experienced player himself, he is very good.He knows what he is talking about and likes to get his point across.  It is good for me as well as I can have a different view on things.

You began your career at Raith Rovers where you scored 32 goals in 90 matches, pretty impressive.It's not surprising then that you've got a great reputation for being a really strong goal scorer?

I've always scored goals at every Club I have been at.Given a run in a team I would always fancy my chances to score goals.Centre forwards do like playing up front with me and I also create a lot of opportunities for them with my running and balls through etc. I do other work in and around different areas as well.  An out and out goalscorer its lovely to be but I do do a lot work down the channels, come short and take the ball and I'll provide some goals as well.  I've got not a bad record in scoring which I am pleased with though it could be better.I'm not an out and out goalscorer but it is my favourite position.

You also played with Dumbarton before signing for DAFC - with 2 victories against your old teams, Raith and Dumbarton, how does that feel?

Excellent.Obviously you look out for your old teams, but I'm here and we want to get promoted, want to win the league.With all due respect to Raith and Dumbarton I would like them to have great seasons but obviously not to pick up any points against us.  I loved my time at Raith Rovers and I also enjoyed my time at Dumbaton - I have no qualms about that and I also have good friends there but my focus is here.If you asked any footballer they would want to do well against their former clubs.

You had the chance to play football in America but chose to stay in the UK, was that a big decision to make?

I was friends with Jack Ross and when I came back it was an opportunity to keep myself going playing football and they (Dumbarton) were going for promotion so it was a chance to keep playing for a couple of months.It worked out there and we managed to get promotion and I scored a few goals as well.It kept my name kicking about as well when I was trying to get back playing full time or doing a dual role with coaching.

When I spoke to the Manager I was looking forward to the opportunity of coming to a Club like this and hopefully I can play a part.I still feel that I have something to offer on the park and I want to play until I feel that I am no longer good enough and until that day comes I will keep on playing.  I enjoyed my short time at Carolina Railhawks as I was looking for something different but the Manager who wanted me there left before I got there and the new one never really got a chance to look at me.I was disappointed it didn't really work out the way I had hoped, but I wouldn't change a thing now.  This is brilliant here, I get to coach and play.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career so far?

The Manager (Jim Jefferies) has got to be one.He was my Manager at Kilmarnock and he was a big influence on my career, but I would probably have to say Alex Smith when I was coming through at Raith.  I've got a lot of respect for all my Managers that I have played under, but at that age when I was breaking into the Raith first team and the Scotland U21's I think his knowledge of the game, training and the way he talks to you and handles you - I thought he was fantastic.

At that time I couldn't have asked for anyone better, so I would have to say Alex Smith, he is such a knowledgeable person and knows the game inside out and helped push me in the right direction and I still speak to him to this day. Obviously my dad had an influence on my career as well but as a coach it would have to be Alex Smith.

What are your hopes for 2012/13 season?

To get promoted - that is the hope of the season.I would like to play a part in that and play as many games as possible, though that depends on the Manager.  After that, hopefully the 20's can do well and keep going the way they are going and that we will see a few more integrating into the first team and making the transition.I think that there is a few of them that can do it.