But one of Raith Rovers' new signings has more reason than most to be feeling the strain in his attempts to get in shape for the new season.

That's because Allan Walker is taking part in pre-season for the first time in two years after a serious leg break kept him out of last year's work-out at Livingston.

"This is the first pre-season I've had in two years so I'm finding it hard like everybody else ... maybe a bit harder for myself though," he confessed.

"There are a lot of fit boys here, but the gaffer will get me as fit as I can and hopefully I can repay him on the pitch and maybe chip in with a few goals this year.



"I've only got three in my career so far but I've always been used as a sitting midfielder. Maybe this year the boss will want me to go forward.

"We've not spoken about that – we're just concentrating on the dirty work just now, doing the running that nobody wants to do.
"You've just go to do it.

''Once it's in the tank it can only benefit you for the rest of the season.

"I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running, keeping as fit as I can and hopefully do well for Raith Rovers."

Walker is no stranger to Stark's Park having spent two months on loan at the Kirkcaldy club during the festive period last season.



It was during that spell that he revived his love of football after spending almost a year out in the treatment room recovering from his leg break.

"Raith gave me a bit of life again," he said.

"At Livingston I was sitting in the physio room every day and I wasn't getting any comfort.

"After a bad injury you need to feel comfortable and I never quite got that at Livingston.

''I came here and the manager and players made me feel welcome, and from then on I've always looked out for Raith's scores.

"I kept in touch with people at the club and when the end of the season came, Raith asked what I was doing, and I explained my options were open.

"I came here because I think we'll definitely get promotion and it will be nice to experience a promotion rather than sitting in the First Division fighting relegation all the time."

Despite dropping a division to sign for Rovers, Walker does not view his move as a backwards step.

"I wouldn't even see it as a step back," he said.

"Raith are a big club, maybe a division lower than they should be. Hopefully we can get it right this season and get the club where we belong.

"I was really surprised they didn't go up last year.

"During my loan we went up to Ross County and won 3-2 and I thought the team was going to kick on from there.

"This year new boys have came in, the gaffer has made good signings, and hopefully that can only improve things and get the club into the First Division."

Walker admitted that the uncertainty surrounding the new owners at Almondvale helped make up his mind to move away from his first, and up until joining Raith, his only senior club.

"The manager didn't know where he was going to be so that's not a situation I want to be in especially when I've just had a baby, and got a house with the girlfriend," he said.

"I just want a bit of security and when I heard about Raith I had a think and decided that was where I wanted to go."

As far as 22-year-old's go, Walker is blessed with more experience than most.

"I broke into the Livingston first team at 18 and was playing beside Paul Lambert every week in the SPL," he said.

"You can only learn from that, as well as the players you're playing against. It was an excellent experience."

It was reported in the national press that Walker was attracting the interest of Serie A giants Fiorentina for his displays in a young Livingston side.

"I heard about that but I didn't really pay much attention to it," he said.

"It came out at Christmas time and we were in a fight at the bottom of the league so it just passed me by.

"The chairman mentioned something about it but I took it with a pinch of salt."