FORMER loan star Sam Fisher’s return to Dundee’s first team after departing East End last month has not surprised James McPake.

After making 17 appearances for the League One leaders during the first half of the campaign, the 21-year-old was recalled by his parent club midway through his season-long agreement following his impressive stint with the Pars.

Centre back Fisher, who McPake hailed as a “very good defender”, and is “delighted he is playing and doing well”,despite being “disappointed to see him go back”, has started both league games for Gary Bowyer’s promotion-chasers since heading back to Tayside.

However, despite Fisher’s successful spell, the Dunfermline manager insists he doesn’t need to use it to try and tip the balance his club’s way when it comes to recruitment on a temporary basis.

READ MORE: 'It's a good place to be': Midfielder delighted to extend Pars stay

Although he didn’t add to his squad before the January transfer deadline, domestic loan deals are still available to McPake, and other SPFL clubs outwith the Premiership, throughout February.

It is understood the club could be close to completing a deal in time for tomorrow's trip to Airdrieonians but, speaking to Press Sport earlier this week, and when asked if the success of Fisher’s time at the club might not do any harm when a player and their parent club are assessing a potential loan move, the boss said: “I genuinely don’t look at it that way.

“If it’s a case of a player looking to say ‘I can go to Dunfermline to better my career’, then great, but it has to help us as well.

“We say we offer a fantastic platform for any player to come and play, whether it’s a loan player, or a player that just wants a change, or needs a change, because of his contract situation, his situation at his parent club, or just because he’s out of contract.

“We believe we’re a good football club and that, if you come here and you get in the team, it’s up to yourself to stay in.

“Sam’s proved that, Chris Mochrie’s proved that, we’ve seen Kane (Ritchie-Hosler) in glimpses, and Robbie Mahon isn’t far away, either, in terms of getting a run in our team.

“In terms of the loans, it doesn’t really bother me too much what the players see because, if they just want to come and use it for that side of it, then we would benefit anyway. But they’ve got to come and just be selfish and do well.

“By doing that, you either get taken back or play, or they get a contract at our club, whatever’s the plan for that player with their parent club.

“I don’t look at it too much like that because I wouldn’t underestimate our football club by saying we offer it out to players to use it as a stepping stone, because that’s not what we do.

“We give the same chat that we would any player we’re trying to sign, like (Kyle) Benedictus or (Chris) Hamilton, or Max Little at the start of the season. What we expected of them, we said exactly the same to the loan players.

“If they want to buy into that, then great.”