MOVING Down Under was an experience Graham Dorrans will remember fondly but he’s excited to say ‘g’day’ to Dunfermline.

The 34-year-old, who also has the distinction of playing in the English Premier League with West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City, and for Rangers and Dundee, on his CV, signed a two-year deal at East End last month.

Less than 24 hours prior, Rhys Breen, fresh from a spell on loan to Orange County in the United States, joined on a permanent basis after leaving the Ibrox side.

Speaking to Press Sport, they cited manager Peter Grant as a significant factor in deciding their futures lay on the Halbeath Road.

For Dorrans, it means a reunion with his former first team coach at the Baggies, as well as his close pal, Steven Whittaker.

“I spoke to the gaffer and Steven a couple of weeks ago,” he said.

“I really enjoyed working with him (Grant) when I was at West Brom and, since then, I’ve met him a few times and met him for a bit of advice. Going back to the time at West Brom, I thoroughly enjoyed his coaching styles, his work ethic and the standards he sets for training, so that was a big part of me coming here as well.

“When you get to my age and the stage of my career, you look for those sorts of options. His style of play and his coaching methods is something I wanted to get involved in, so it was great for me when he made the call to know what you’re going into. I had a couple of conversations with a couple of teams in England, and in Scotland as well, so at this stage of my career it’s important for me to make the right choice.

"I know how I like to play and I think that suits the gaffer, and I think the gaffer suits me as well.

“I’ve been close with Steven for a long time since I broke in to the Scotland squad and then went to Norwich.

"We’ve been good mates so I always kept in touch when I’ve been away, asked him how they were doing and how he was doing with his coaching as well.

“He got in touch with me a few weeks ago and, from there, things snowballed. I spoke to the gaffer and I’m glad to get things over the line.”

In November last year, Dorrans headed to Australia to join Western Sydney Wanderers, for whom he made 23 appearances.

Although family struggling to settle prompted his return to these shores, he spoke positively about the experience, and continued: “Right through my full career, I’ve always wanted to go abroad and play, so when the opportunity came up to go over there, it was great for me.

“I thought the football was great, the club was fantastic; the facilities they had, the training ground – it was all top notch stuff.

"It was great to go over and be part of that. Unfortunately, the family didn’t settle too well, so we came back a few weeks ago but I would recommend it to anyone if they had the opportunity to go over there and give it a try.

“I think over here the football gets looked down a little bit over there, but that’s not the case. There’s certainly some good footballers and some good teams over there.”

Breen, meanwhile, arrives having also experienced football abroad after a short spell in California.

The 21-year-old left-sided centre back enjoyed loan moves, with Partick Thistle and Queen of the South last season, having come through the Rangers academy, before heading Stateside.

Now, however, he feels the time is right to grasp the opportunity of first-team football, and says recovering from a hip injury as a youngster has helped prepare him mentally for what lies ahead.

“Moving away from home, I knew it would be a challenge in that sense, but it was unbelievable,” he said of his stint in the golden state.

“Playing in America – I never thought I would be able to do that. Having to adjust to the climates, you were playing in different climates all the time, so the all-round experience was amazing.

“I always wanted to play for Rangers but the opportunity I’ve got with Dunfermline was literally a no-brainer.

"Speaking to the gaffer, knowing a lot about the team and what they want this season, I’m delighted to be here.

“I’ve been trusted with two years, so I’ve got two years to go and show what I can do, and hopefully I can extend after that.

“I’m 21, I need to go and show what I can do. I need to start getting first team appearances under my belt, so that’s why I’m here and want this challenge.

“Trying to keep that self motivation was the biggest thing for me as a kid; am I going to make it, am I going to get back to the way I was, am I going to be as good as I was?

“But I feel, in some sort of way, the injury’s actually helped me become a bit stronger mentally and then physically I’ve come back, so I’ve learned a lot from that.

“When I was a reserve player, it seemed so far away. Sometimes I was thinking am I going to make it as a footballer or not? You always have these doubts in your head but, once I started going out on loan, and you meet some really nice guys, you start showing what you can do.”