‘Workaholic’ McGlynn earns players’ respect

Raith Rovers players are determined to reward ‘workaholic’ boss John McGlynn with success this season, according to Euan Murray.

McGlynn returned to the club for a second spell in charge last month following a stint as scout at Celtic and leads the Kirkcaldy men out for a third time against Stranraer this afternoon.

Before leaving for Hearts in 2012, he was often found sorting out the Stark’s Park plumbing, giving parts of the stadium a lick of paint or driving players around in minibuses.

He may have focused his attention on the training pitch so far, but Murray believes the former Livingston manager’s passion for Rovers – and that of number two Paul Smith – is destined to bring out the best in the squad as they bid for promotion back to the Championship.

The former Motherwell defender said: “You can tell both the gaffer and Smudger (Smith) are football men.

“The gaffer has managed and gone on to have a career outwith management at the top level, so when people like that come in you respect them and most importantly you take on board what they say because they’ve seen it and done it.

“And you can definitely tell their affection for the club with the detail and the effort that goes into their work – things like the video analysis, and our shape and the detail on the opposition.

“He seems a workaholic, which is brilliant to work under, because you want to do as well as you can for someone who is as passionate about the club.

“Smudger has been a big part of that as well.

“The two of them are a really good fit for the club and all the players are right behind them.”

With the international break allowing plenty of time since to work on the training pitch, Murray believes the Raith squad can get closer to implementing McGlynn’s style against Stranraer this afternoon.

The 24-year-old added: “The gaffer has stamped his own authority on things. The wee break we had last weekend has allowed us to do that.

“He wants us to play football very much all over the park. I think we’re getting used to it now. It’s never going to click overnight and we’re not going to become the total team straight away.”

Rovers defender Euan Murray.