Published: Thursday, 7th February, 2008 14:10
Macca swoops to land loan star
By Sports editor Simon Harris
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Alex Burke in action during his spell at Kilmarnock, where he played with Pars boss Jim McIntyre.
PLAYER BOSS Jim McIntyre has made former Kilmarnock team mate Alex Burke his first signing for the Pars.
The 30-year-old left-sided midfielder has arrived at East End on loan until the end of the season in a surprise swoop after the transfer window had closed.
Press Sport can reveal that McIntyre had tried to tie up Burke on an 18-month deal before the midnight deadline on Thursday.
St Mirren initially refused to release him but the deal was revived at the beginning of the week and Burke was able to make the move as an emergency loan on Tuesday after McIntyre approached him on Monday night.
Glasgow-born Burke told Press Sport, “I think St Mirren had wanted me to stay until the window but when it closed he came back in with a loan deal until the summer.
“If it had gone through last week I would have signed for next season as well and I’ll be looking to make it permanent.
“Jim phoned me on Monday night and I was interested straightaway.”
Burke was with McIntyre and the Pars’ new assistant, Gerry McCabe, when he started his career at Rugby Park.
He’s been much-travelled since leaving Killie in 2000, with spells at Clydebank, Falkirk, Berwick, Queen of the South, Ross County and St Mirren, scoring seven times in 189 starts all told.
He figured in all of St Mirren’s games over Christmas, including the Buddies’ 2-1 win over Hibs, but was dropped after their 4-0 defeat at Rangers.
“I played with Jim (McIntyre) at Kilmarnock and I know him well,” Burke said.
“I’ve known him over the years and it’s obviously good to be working with someone you know as a person. Also Cabey (Gerry McCabe) was assistant at Killie so I know what he’s like as well.
“He’s (McIntyre) a winner and first and foremost, he’s a good football player.
He sets himself a high standard as a player which has helped him play to the age he has and he will make demands of people. He will be expecting that from his own players.
“From my point of view, I’ve had a wee run of games recently and I hope that can continue and I can get a permanent move and hopefully get the club back into the SPL.
"When you’ve played in the SPL, you want to stay there.
“I’ve been playing on the left side of midfield with St Mirren recently but I can also play up front so I can give options. Hopefully I can create a few goals and score a few goals from the left.”
Burke makes the reverse journey after Pars players Gus MacPherson, John Potter, Gary Mason and, most recently, Jim Hamilton, switched to Paisley.
“I spoke to John Potter about the club and the guys who’ve been here have spoken highly of the place,” Burke revealed.
“The former Dunfermline players at St Mirren recommended it and it’s obviously nice to hear good reviews and the boys here have been brand new, chatting away straightaway.
“Hamilton would be a good game to go in and hopefully, we can get the right result and get off to a good start.”
McIntyre told Press Sport, “I played with him at Kilmarnock and he’s a good player.
"He’s left-sided and fits the bill. He’s a very direct, attacking player and is the type of player we need.”
As expected, centre half Jamie Harris joined Irish side St Patrick’s Athletic for his second spell with the League of Ireland outfit on the last day of the transfer window, hooking up again with Bobby Ryan and former Pars star Gary Dempsey, who joined St Pat’s from Yeovil Town.
Also moving to Ireland was Aaron Labonte, who signed for Finn Harps on loan until the end of the season with the option of a permanent deal to follow.
Their departures took the total number of Pars players leaving East End in January to eight after Roddy McKenzie also agreed to terminate his contract
.
Jim Hamilton (St Mirren), Phil McGuire (Inverness) and loan players Danny Murphy and Michael McGlinchey (returned to Motherwell and Celtic respectively) were the other players to depart East End last month.
Manager Jim McIntyre commented, “The only one of those players who was a regular was Jim Hamilton, although Jamie Harris also played seven games on the bounce for me.
“At the end of the day, we had to cut the squad down as the squad was too big and we were carrying too many players.”
Striker Tam McManus’ proposed deadline day move to Kilmarnock collapsed so he will be in the squad to face Hamilton on Saturday after scoring in the reserves’ 3-1 League Cup win at home to Livingston.
Owen Morrison, Sol Bamba and Greg Ross also came through the game and looking forward to the Hamilton match, McIntyre said, “It’s a big game.
"Like in any game, we’re looking to go there and try to get the three points. We’re not looking at teams up where Hamilton and Dundee are, we’re just trying to catch the team in front of us.”
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Further Details
Pars rule out standing at East End Park