Loan Ranger enjoys bigger stage

“It was crazy honestly probably one of my best experiences and one of the best games that I have played in.”

Kane Ritchie-Hosler’s season kicked off in August when he was a second half substitute in the 1-0 Rangers B win over Spartans in the SPFL Trust Trophy. The attendance that night at Ainslie Park was 331 so it was a great experience just over six months later, for the 20 year old to be playing in front of 9530 fans in a sold out KDM Group East End Park.

Kane laid on the second goal in the 2-0 win over Falkirk but it was the result and the electrifying atmosphere inside the ground that excited the Englishman most:-

“We were all buzzing after that performance especially after the way that we came out in that second half. It was great hearing them chant my name, it was crazy honestly probably one of my best experiences and one of the best games that I have played in.”

At the end of September Kane joined on loan from Rangers, and contrasting his previous experience with Rangers B with that while at Dunfermline he continued:-

“It is way different. The main challenge was to get first team football for me. I have come up against different quality of opposition and it’s been such a good experience for me. Just being in and around the dressing room and getting that experience.”

Kane has now made 16 appearances for the Pars including starting the last four matches and Billy Kirkwood his Loans manager at Rangers has attended when possible and Kane was pleased to reveal:-

“He is happy that I’m getting game time and I have been buzzing to get more minutes. He is happy with how things are going.

James McPake’s penchant to continually make changes to his starting eleven means Kane knows that he needs to keep up his form and fitness:-

“It is such a good squad, there is so much depth. The ones on the bench can come on and make an impact. You never know really you just have to keep working.

“It is just on to the next one, the next game is the one that matters and we just have to try and get the three points.”

That means another visit to Peterhead for Kane. He played there twice while on loan to Clyde and has already played them three times with Dunfermline. “It is a long journey up there, the weather is never good. I am just looking forward to it.

“We take every game as it comes no matter who we are playing. Obviously Falkirk was huge but there are still a lot of games to play and all the focus is just on the next game. We have to keep playing the way we have been. Keep grounded, nothing is decided yet. It will be a different challenge and they are fighting to stay up.

“We don’t want to ease off at all. After beating Falkirk going into the next one the most important thing is just to keep this winning momentum going.”

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