DUNFERMLINE have confirmed that Callum Fordyce has signed a contract extension with the club.

We revealed in today's Press Sport that boss Allan Johnston was set to hold talks with the 24-year-old with his short-term deal set to expire at the end of the month.

Fordyce made his long-awaited first-team comeback after almost a year out with a broken ankle on Saturday as he started the defeat to Hibernian in place of the suspended Lee Ashcroft.

The former Livingston centre back, who Johnston named as his captain after signing last summer, underwent two operations since suffering the horror injury against Ayr United last September as he battled his way back to a playing return.

Although his one-year deal expired at the end of last season, he was handed a short-term deal until the end of this month to prove his fitness and has now agreed fresh terms to stay at East End Park.

Earlier this week, Johnston told Press Sport: “We’ll need to speak to Callum and try and get something sorted out because you can see that he’ll give us good competition, especially when you can see that he’s fit now.

“He’s worked really hard to get there; he’s been on a long journey and has obviously got there in the end. It’s always good when you’ve got competition because I think it makes players even better when they’ve got someone who can step into their position. I’m sure it’ll step us up another level in terms of performance.

“He’s a good lad as well in the dressing room and that’s why he was captain last year. He’s done well and showed he’s back to where he was before he got injured. When you look at some of the games he’s played, whether it’s 20s games or the pre-season games he’s been involved in, he’s got better and better with every one. In the last couple of games it’s been too easy for him to be honest, so he deserved his chance and I don’t think he let us down.

“Overall in the 90 minutes that he played, I thought that he didn’t make many mistakes, but obviously the one he did cost us dearly. But he’s a strong character; he’ll be fine and react to that no problem. I was really happy with his performance.”

Meanwhile Johnston admits he is still actively pursuing targets to bolster his forward line.

Athletic have been linked with a number of players in recent weeks but Johnston, who did sign former Celtic youth and Scotland Under-16 striker Ciaran Lafferty last week, said that continued: “There’s nothing definite” was being pursued at the minute; there’s a lot of names been mentioned and we’ve been talking to a few people but we’re not really any further forward.

He added: “I still think a striker is the priority and it would be good to get another one up front because if Moff [Michael Moffat] or Gav [Gavin Reilly] gets injured, then there’s not many natural strikers after that.

“Every game Ciaran’s played for the 20s he’s scored, which is a good record. He looks a player and it’s an opportunity to get his career back on track, and prove to us that he can play and make the step up to the first team because that’s what you want from your 20s.”