New recruit Paul McMullan targeting fourth promotion to Scottish football’s top flight with Raith Rovers

The Stirling-born 29-year-old this week signed a deal keeping him at Kirkcaldy’s Stark’s Park until May 2027, following weeks of talks with the Fifers’ technical director John Potter, and he’s told of his delight to have returned to Scotland after moving away to play for Northern Ireland’s Derry City in June 2023.

“I’m delighted to have finally got over here and be back home closer to my family and I’m just really looking forward to getting started,” the former Dundee United winger told Raith TV after joining manager Barry Robson’s squad.

“I’d been chatting to Potts about it for a few weeks, so I’m glad to finally get it finished off and get over here and get going.

“Sometimes you just get that feel as a player that a club really want you to be there and I got that feel right away from John and the manager and thankfully managed to tidy it all up and get here.”

McMullan helped Dundee United secure promotion to what’s now the William Hill Premiership in 2020 and did likewise with Dundee in 2021 and 2023 and he’s hoping to get fourth time lucky with Raith, saying: “I know the league well. I don’t know the club as well yet but I’m looking forward to finding out more about them and getting going in the league.

“The last three seasons I’ve been in this league I’ve managed to get out of it all three times, so that’s a good thing to carry into a dressing room.

“I’m just really looking forward to getting the season started and I’m excited about our chances for this year.”

Derry’s League of Ireland Premier Division season being ongoing, running from February into November, McMullan reckons he’s more than match-fit already and can’t wait for this year’s competitive fixtures to begin.

“I’m ready to go. I’m just looking for the games to get going and get started,” he said.

“I feel like I’m fit enough and ready to go and it’s just about getting into games and learning the way the manager wants us to play and the way my teammates play and try to build some relationships that way.

“Once I figure out how to play and how the manager wants to play it and how I can fit into that system, it’s then down to me to produce my best.

“I feel like I’m in good physical condition, so it’s just about figuring out the best way to get the best quality out of me.

“I like to dribble with the ball, I like to take chances with the ball and try and find my teammates in good positions and hopefully I’ll contribute to us winning games.”

McMullan has yet to find the back of the net this year and only got three goals for Derry last season and that’s a record he’s looking to improve on, he says.

“My assist rate’s always been good but my goal rate needs to go up,” he said. “I haven’t scored enough goals, especially during the last couple of years over in Northern Ireland, and that’s something the manager’s already been in my ear about – scoring more goals – so that’ll probably be my main focus for this year.”

McMullan’s other prior teams besides the two Dundee clubs and Derry are Celtic’s under-19s and, on loan, Stenhousemuir, St Mirren, Greenock Morton and Dunfermline Athletic.

He’s played against Raith several times during his eight years in senior Scottish football before heading over the Irish Sea and he’s also turned out alongside two of his new teammates, midfielder Shaun Byrne and defender Callum Fordyce, so he’s glad to be renewing old acquaintances, saying: “I played with Shaun at Dundee and Dycey at Dunfermline and it’s always nice to see familiar faces when you come in, and I’ve played against all the other lads for however many years.”

Robson, 46, is pleased to have secured McMullan’s signature and believes his experience of winning promotion to the top flight will prove invaluable as Raith bid to join the likes of Celtic, Rangers, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian, saying: “He’s a player I’ve admired.

“He’s had three promotions out of the championship, two automatic and one through play-offs.

“I like his speed. He can eliminate players. Over that five yards of distance, he’s explosive.

“He knows the league well and I think he’s a good type, and I’m bringing him over here to be one of the more senior players and take the young boys with him.

“I want him to be a direct player who wants to press high as well.

“I just thought he’d fit the team, the look of the team, how we want to do things, and hopefully he can do that.

“I think he’d had offers to go to other clubs so I think it says a lot that he’s here.

“There are no guarantees in football – anything could happen – but hopefully he can add something to the team.”

Raith’s next game is their final friendly of this pre-season away to Falkirk this Saturday, with kick-off at 2pm, and they’ve also got an open training session at Stark’s Park on Monday from 11am.