BY IAIN COLLIN – Capital City Press
Raith Rovers have taken former skipper Iain Davidson on trial after running the rule over freed Rangers midfielder Ian Black.
With Black having not returned for training this week, Ray McKinnon has offered Davidson facilities as the new Rovers manager seeks to strengthen his midfield options.
Davidson was released by Dundee in the summer after 83 appearances in three seasons with the Dark Blues and has already been on trial at Raith’s Fife rivals Dunfermline.
There is also interest in the 31-year-old from south of the border, with the defensive play-maker holding talks with Conference Premier side Southport earlier this week.
However, he could now make a return to hometown team Raith, where he spent eight years and captained the club.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Championship opener against Livingston, McKinnon said: “His agent phoned me on Wednesday and asked if he could come in and train, and I thought ‘of course he can’.
“He’s supposedly got offers from other clubs in our division but I’m not going to be making him an offer until I see him in training and have a look at him.
“But that’s certainly what I’ll do, I’ll have a look at him. We’ll see what his fitness is like, what kind of player he is and if he fits into our team.”
Davidson certainly appears to have the kind of qualities McKinnon is seeking as he bids to add to his squad in the coming weeks.
The Stark’s Park boss, who revealed teenage attacker Lewis Vaughan will have his cruciate ligament damage assessed by a specialist next week, added: “I am looking for a really defensive-minded midfield player, someone with maybe a wee bit of experience.
“To be fair, Blacky and Ian fit the bill.
“But they need to be on the ball and they need to be fit, and they need to be exactly what we’re looking for – or we won’t take them; we’ll just wait.”
@IainCollin
