Moroccan marksman Farid El Alagui is hoping to restart his career with the Pars just weeks after becoming a father for the first time.

The striker impressed boss Allan Johnston during a trial period and was pleased to put pen to paper and sign a deal with the Pars until January, allowing him to be closer to his partner Jenna, and their new baby girl, Nina.

A delighted El Alagui told Press Sport: “Me and my partner have had a baby recently and we’re obviously delighted with that and so are her family as well. We both wanted to stay close to her family, especially so she can get support. It’s obviously tough at times but they’ve been amazing with us. And that helped me to make sure I got sorted with football as well.

“I would say it’s been challenging so far! We’ve had a lot of help from her family and parents, so credit to them for being so amazing. It’s not been easy, but with them being there it does help us get some sleep at times! It’s the best feeling in the world as a person. You have feelings that you’ve never experienced before and on a daily basis. It is absolutely great.

“It makes things easier living closer to them. I had a trial with Inverness which would’ve been a completely different story if I had moved there. It would’ve been harder to settle in so I really didn’t want to do that. So when Dunfermline was a possibility I jumped at it because I was happy to be so close to Edinburgh and it’s a great club to be a part of. I was really impressed with the set-up here and I felt everything was right for me to be here."

The target man is now eager to show the Pars fans what he can do and put his injury worries behind him, with the 31-year-old making a brief appearance against Dundee United on Saturday.

“I’m really happy to sign here and get myself back on track. It was the best option for me to come here and to enjoy football again.

“My injuries are in the past now and I feel good about myself. That extra match sharpness will come from game time and pushing myself in training, but right now I’m happy with my body and how I’m feeling. As soon as I came here I felt good, and I played a few games with the U20s and it’s always good to score goals when you’re coming back from injury and to get that goal-scoring feeling back."

The forward is no stranger to this level, having notched 23 goals in 48 appearances whilst playing for Falkirk and Hibs.

He's aware the Pars support may not be too fond of one of his past employers, but he is looking forward to facing off against his ex-club Falkirk in October.

“At the time when I was with Falkirk, Dunfermline weren’t in the league, so I have no experience of that rivalry. You don’t really experience it until you play against each other. I hope it will be a great game of football."