The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Buzzing’ winger relishes Hampden tie
Having gone from the worrying uncertainty of footballing no-man’s land to the SPFL’s star man ahead of a firstever run-out at Hampden, it is fair to say Daniel Armstrong is enjoying life at Raith Rovers.
The 21-year-old found himself without a club after leaving Wolves and the English Premier League behind in the summer, and only secured a short-term deal at Stark’s Park a fortnight ago.
But the former Hamilton Accies youngster could hardly have dreamed of making a better impact.
In just his second start last weekend the winger bagged a superb double to help Rovers to a 3-1 win over Stenhousemuir and earn himself a spot in the SPFL team of the day.
Now Armstrong, who had a frustrating loan spell at Dunfermline last season, is relishing the prospect of this afternoon’s Scottish Cup clash with Queen’s Park and a maiden outing at the national stadium just days after Scotland’s stirring success there against Israel.
He said: “I’m just buzzing to be back playing football on a Saturday. I was out of it for a few months and I’m delighted to be starting games and I just want to do well.
“I was looking around for a club and I had a bit of a palaver with different things that knocked me back a month or two. It was a long process but I got the option here and I jumped at it just to get back in playing.
“The gaffer’s given me the chance and that’s all I needed, to prove what I can do. I was just delighted to get my first senior goals. That was a great feeling.
“And then the added bonus was to get the star man in the SPFL team of the week. That just adds to your confidence.
“Now we’re looking forward to a Scottish Cup game at Hampden. It’s brilliant. You couldn’t get a much better stadium to be playing in and the big pitch will suit me and the other wingers.
“I’ve not played at Hampden before. I’ve watched a few games but this will be my first time playing there, which will be a great experience.
“It will be brilliant and hopefully we can go there and get through to the next round of the cup.”