Raith Rovers' Callum Fordyce talks car schools and title chances

Fordyce told the Fife Free Press that a ‘car share’ arrangement with his former Airdrie team-mate, Raith back-up goalkeeper Andy McNeil, is also handy when travelling to Rovers’ training or matches.

The 32-year-old centre-back said: “Despite joining Raith I stay in the exact same place in Polbeth, just outside Livingston.

"So it’s only an extra five or 10 minutes onto my journey getting to Kirkcaldy.

"I can remember linking up with Andy in my first couple of years at Airdrie and I’m back in a car school with him, so it’s quite handy.

"He stays in Whitburn so it’s good to catch up with him and obviously there were other players who were at Airdrie who are now at Raith so it’s quite nice to see them again.”

Raith are fancied by many pundits to go one better than last season’s second-placed Championship finish in Scotland’s second tier by winning the title this time around, so is Fordyce feeling the pressure?

“There’s always pressure in every football game,” he said. “You're going in to win at the end of the day.

"Everyone wants to win the league or finish as high as possible if they can't win the league.

"Pressure is a privilege at the end of the day. You’re in a job that if there’s pressure on you to go and win a football match, you’ve got to feel privileged that people are fancying you.

"It’s going to be an interesting season and one where I’m really looking to come out on top.”

On recovering from his horror leg break in 2015 (full story above), Fordyce said he owes a lot to his family.

He added: "You have to speak to your family and they’re telling you everything’s going to be OK. It was tough on people that were very close to me, you need good people around you that maybe understand that I wasn’t in a good place but they kept pushing and driving me.

"You also need good team-mates that want you to do well and drove me on. Eventually I felt better and got back playing again. It was a long road but I’m obviously proud of where I’ve got.

"My dad (James) always says that to me, that I’m lucky to be playing.”