'It was a no brainer for us': Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray happy to retain Shaun Byrne on loan from Dundee until end of season

Kirkcaldy-born defensive midfielder Byrne, 30, has played a total of 23 matches for Raith this season.

So he has been a vital cog in the wheel of a second-placed Raith side bidding to reach Scotland’s top division for the first time since 1997.

Boss Murray told RaithTV: "We are delighted Shaun's here which is great. He showed desire to be here in the summer, he wanted to be here after the January clause that we had and we wanted him here.

"It was a no brainer for us. It's also really important to try and keep consistency within your squad, especially in central areas.

"Shaun brings a wealth of experience to our team. With that he brings really, really good quality on the ball, he communicates.

"A bit like Kyle (recent Raith loan signing Kyle Turner) in that respect in terms of that he's a winner, he wants to win games.

"He's not happy playing second fiddle. We talk about hunger and desire within footballers and Shaun's got all that."

Byrne, who also lists Dunfermline Athletic and Livingston among his former clubs, was ordered by parent club Dundee to miss Raith’s 3-0 Scottish Cup third round win at Dunfermline to avoid being cup-tied, but he is back available for Murray’s team in the Scottish Cup fourth round tie at Livingston tomorrow (Saturday).