BY IAIN COLLIN – @CCP_sport
GRANT Anderson admits he is relishing feeling wanted again at Queen of the South after falling firmly out of favour with today’s opposition manager Ray McKinnon.
Anderson ended a four-year association with Raith Rovers in the summer following a frustrating end to the season that made him think carefully about his future.
The 29-year-old watched McKinnon leave Stark’s Park for the Dundee United hotseat at the end of the campaign but opted to move on himself after an approach from Queens boss Gavin Skelton.
The powerful winger will have an early opportunity to prove McKinnon wrong for sidelining him last term when the Doonhamers kick off the new season at Tannadice this afternoon.
And Anderson is desperate to continue the feelgood factor in the Palmerston Park squad after they set up Tuesday’s last-16 clash with Hibs by carving out three wins from four in their Betfred Cup section.
He told Capital City Press: “We’ve had a good League Cup campaign and we want to improve on that and keep going in the right direction.
“It would be great to go up on there on the first day of the season and get the three points or a positive result.
“I know big Lewis Toshney, who is a good player, so it will be good to see him again, and obviously the gaffer and Laurie Ellis are up there now.
“Dundee United are a massive club and themselves and Hibs will be disappointed if they don’t get promoted this season.
“It’s going to be an interesting battle but we can’t count ourselves out. We want to finish as high as we possibly can as well.
“We’ve got to look at every game as one where we can get three points, so we’ve got to go up there thinking positively.”
Options
Anderson played 150 times for Raith but was used sparingly by McKinnon last season and is content with his decision to join Queens this summer.
He added: “I was at Raith a long time and I was used to playing almost every game.
“Last season was the worst run of games I had gone without playing. I only started two games in the last five months of my contract, which wasn’t great for me.
“When it came to the summer, I had to review my options and see what I wanted to do.
“I always enjoyed my time at Raith Rovers but I had to rethink what I was doing and the gaffer was really, really interested in getting me on board at Queen of the South.
“That always helps, when someone really wants you. That’s a big pull for a player.
“I had to make a decision and it’s been a great one so far; I’m really enjoying it.”
