Turner desperate to prove himself in Championship

Kyle Turner insists he will give it his all to prove he can make the step up to full-time football at Dunfermline.

The Stranraer youngster penned a two-year deal to join the Pars this summer and is determined to grasp his opportunity in Fife.

The 21-year-old, son of former Morton, St Johnstone and St Mirren stalwart Tommy Turner, is convinced he can become a regular at East End Park but knows he has plenty of hard work ahead to prove himself.

He said: “My agent told me that Dunfermline had been watching quite a few of my games and were keen to get me in.

“My contract was up at Stranraer so I am happy to come to full-time football.

“I want to play week-in, weekout but I need to establish myself and prove that I can play at this level.

“Stranraer is a part-time club and training twice a week. Here, you are training every day so it is just getting up to speed with all the boys who have been full-time.

“I don’t think I am that far away fitness-wise but you have to be up to match fitness because it is completely different playing in a game.

“You need to get really fit to play in this league because it is a fast league with some good teams in it. You need to be able to match them with fitness.”

The youngster made his breakthrough at Stranraer aged just 17 and went on to play nearly 150 top-team games for the Stair Park outfit.

But, despite the confidence of that experience, he admits he was still happy to see some familiar faces when Dunfermline began preseason training 10 days ago.

He added: “I am good friends with Paul Paton – he stays only five minutes away from my house.

“We have been on holiday with each other in the summer so it was a surprise when he texted me to say that he was coming here.

“I played with Kevin Nisbet at Partick Thistle as a young boy and I also know some of the boys just from playing against them, like Andy Ryan when he was at Airdrie.”

Kyle Turner knows there is plenty hard work ahead at East End Park.