Crawford tips latest signing to use club as stepping stone

Stevie Crawford insists he would be happy for new signing Vytas Gaspuitis to use Dunfermline as a stepping stone.

The towering Lithuania defender has penned a twoand-a-half-year deal with the Pars after a recommendation from compatriot - and former East End Park favourite Andrius Skerla.

Gaspuitis made his international debut in a friendly against the Faroe Islands in November and is highly rated by Skerla, who won 84 caps and has acted as assistant-manager for his country in recent times.

And Crawford believes the 6’5” stopper can catch the eye of bigger clubs if he goes on to fulfil his potential with the Fifers.

He said: “Vytas has not long broken into his international set up and the obvious connection with us was Andrius Skerla.

“We feel he will be a great addition. He is 26 and keen to kick on in his career.

“He is ambitious and sees it as a step in the right direction to where he wants his career to go.

“So, with him being ambitious and Dunfermline being ambitious, we think it is a win-win situation.

“Within that two and-ahalf-year period [of his contract], if he plays to the levels that he is hoping to play to, hopefully that might attract interest from outwith as well.

“If he is attracting interest from outwith I think it means that Dunfermline as a football club are doing well.

“I am not saying that lightly, I want players who are wanting to come and commit their future to us.

“Equally, if it means that we get attention from other places, I think it will help progress us as a football club.”

Gaspuitis is playing catch-up on his fitness levels since joining in training with Dunfermline following his mandatory period of quarantine after his arrival in Scotland.

However, Crawford insists the Lithuanian is working hard and is looking forward to being able to call on his services in the coming weeks.

He added: “He is possibly slightly behind in terms of his conditioning at the moment. I think his last game was for the national side a number of months ago.

“He has tried to keep himself to certain fitness levels and last Thursday was his first training session after his selfisolation period.

“He is allowed to train with the boys but he can only go back to his flat. He is not allowed to go out and shop at the moment.

“He is facing difficult times but when his isolation period finishes, he will be living under the same restrictions as everybody else.

“He knows that he is a little bit off it but he is very keen and we will work him hard with [sports scientist] Gary Mccoll over the next couple of weeks and integrate him into the squad at the right time.”