O’Halloran hails the connection with fans
MICHAEL O’HALLORAN has revealed that the connection between the players and the supporters was one of the first things he noticed after joining the Pars.
Now the fit- again 32- year- old is eager to repay their backing with more success on the pitch for a club he believes is of top flight standard.
O’Halloran, who joined Dunfermline after leaving St Johnstone in the summer, made his first home appearance in a competitive game against Raith Rovers, the atmosphere at which he described as being “terrific”.
O’Halloran said that he “noticed straight away that the fans are excellent” and believes it is important that he and his team-mates given them reasons to get them off their seats.
“You can see that there is a good connection with the team on the pitch,” he said. “Coming in I noticed it straight away. The boys were incredible last season to win the league quite comfortably. They have built up that connection with the fans and hopefully we can repay them.
“I look at the infrastructure, and the fans, and it is a Premiership club. That’s the first thing that I noticed. For whatever reason, they ended up where they ended up, but you hear the aspirations from everybody to get back there.
“It has that big club feel about it and it’s good to come in an environment where they are always pushing. I like that challenge so, for me, it was the right decision.”
A hamstring injury restricted O’Halloran’s early season appearances, but he’s now feeling much better and aiming to secure a regular starting place in the team.
It’s good to train hard throughout the week with the game to look forward to on a Saturday,” he said. “That’s important - any player will tell you that. You don’t want to train all week for nothing.
“Obviously, you need to train and keep yourself fit, but you need that prize at the end of the week to get in the team. I feel my fitness is getting better every week.”
He added: “I have been fortunate not to have any bad injuries; some players have been really unfortunate. Quicker players are more prone to hamstring injuries, which is why you’ve got to be that wee bit more careful.
“When you’re explosive, you’re going to put lot of tension on that, so it’s about making sure that the hamstrings are strong and right. I’m in training and playing again, so it’s getting better.”