Pars strike a deal for Vincent but urge caution over his fitness
Dunfermline manager Allan Johnston is thrilled to have finally landed James Vincent on loan – but admits it may be some time before the Dundee midfielder regains top form.
Vincent has joined the Pars for the remainder of the season after finding himself frozen out of the first-team picture at Dens Park under Neil Mccann this term.
The former Inverness midfielder has made just three league appearances in the current campaign – and none since September – and has understandably expressed his delight at finalising a temporary switch to East End Park.
Johnston is confident the Englishman will prove a shrewd acquisition for the Fifers, but knows Vincent will be short of match-sharpness after languishing in the Dundee under-20s in recent months.
He said: “We’ve been showing a bit of interest in James for about the last month, so it’s good to get it over the line. Sometimes it takes a bit of time and we’re just glad to have got there and got him in the door.
“There’s a couple of areas we need to strengthen and central midfield was one of them; we never had a lot of options in there. So, he definitely gives us the flexibility to mix things up. He’s played at a good level, he’s experienced, he’s played the position, but the only thing just now is getting his sharpness up to speed.
“He’s not played first-team football for a while and there’s a big difference between firstteam and the 20s.
“So, it’s going to take us a couple of weeks to get him fully fit and as sharp as he should be, but I think he’ll do well for us.”
Vincent, the hero for Inverness with the goal that won them the Scottish Cup in 2015, joined Dundee under Paul Hartley in 2016 but has struggled to fit into Mccann’s plans this season.
He said: “I am delighted to be at the club. The process has been on the go for a while, but I’m glad to get it over the line.
“It’s a massive club with ambitions to get into the Premiership. I’m looking forward to meeting up with the players now and getting started.”