'We expect to be in play-offs at least' - Raith Rovers ace Connor McBride outlines ambition for 2022-2023 campaign

Attacking midfielder McBride, 21, joined after leaving Blackburn Rovers under-21s in the summer and is loving life in the Scottish Championship, within which Raith are eighth with nine points from eight games.

"I would say the biggest difference is obviously you’re playing in front of fans and every game at Raith Rovers we need to win,” McBride told the Fife Free Press.

"At Blackburn under-21 level obviously you want to win but the most important thing down there is developing players.

"Up here we’re playing for promotion and for the fans, so it’s a lot different pressure.

"We put expectations on ourselves to win every match that we go into.

"We’re expecting to be in the play-offs come the end of the season at the very least.

"We’ve got a good enough squad to be there.

"I think every team in this league presents different challenges. Every team can beat everyone and it’s really tight.

"A couple of wins and you’re up the top of the league, a couple of defeats and you’re down the bottom.

"So it’s just about being consistent I think and trying to go on a run of matches and getting ourselves as high up the table as possible.

"I think we’ve got a real togetherness in the changing room. Everyone’s on the same page, we all want to play for the manager, buy into his ideas and hopefully soon it will just all come together and the fans can start to see what we’ve been working on in training.”

This Saturday sees Raith host Cove Rangers – who have beaten Arbroath and Dundee in their last two games to climb to sixth spot – in another vital league game.

Cove beat Raith 2-0 in the sides' league opener back in July, but a McBride goal earned Ian Murray’s team a 1-0 SPFL Trust Trophy third success at Balmoral Stadium on September 24.

On netting that winner, McBride said: “It was good. You always want to get off the mark as quickly as possible, especially when you’re a forward player.

"And I was quite happy it was the only goal of the game and we won the game to progress to the next round of the cup.

"I think Cove will definitely present a threat this weekend.

"I think they made a few signings just before the loan window shut.

"They have strengthened so it could potentially be a different team from the one they put out against us in the cup.

"I’m sure it will definitely be a hard game.”

Raith go into the Cove match having been defeated 1-0 at Queen’s Park in a Championship encounter last Saturday.

"In the first-half we created so many chances that we could have been two or three up at half-time,” McBride said.

"It’s a game of fine margins. If you don't take your chances you’re going to get punished and that’s what happened on Saturday.

"I think we were really disappointed that we didn’t come away with a win with the chances that we created.”

McBride, who also lists Stenhousemuir under-17s, Forth Valley FA, Falkirk under-17s, Celtic under-18s, Celtic B, Stenhousemuir (loan) and Queen’s Park (loan) among his former clubs, signed a one-year deal with Raith last month.

He added: “I just want to see what happens this season. First of all I need to play games at Raith, do well for Raith and see where it takes me really.

"I think I always want to get on the ball, try and create things. That’s what an attacking midfielder needs to do is get assists, get goals and hopefully win the team games.

"I think every footballer would say that they want to play at the highest level they possibly can.

"This season I need to get games, get goals, impress and then if I can stay at Raith, brilliant.”