THEY became pals in the Highlands and James Vincent has revealed that Nat Wedderburn helped sell him on a move to the Pars clan.

The 28-year-old midfielder completed a deal to join Dunfermline on loan from Premiership Dundee until the end of the season on Monday after weeks of speculation.

Boss Allan Johnston expressed his interest in the player before the transfer window opened and the former Inverness Caledonian Thistle man revealed that it didn’t take him long to decide to join Athletic.

Speaking to Press Sport after putting pen to paper, he said: “I first heard about it just before Christmas but, for multiple reasons, it dragged out a little bit long longer than I’d have liked. I’m happy to finally get it done and I’m looking forward to playing.

“The longer you get here, the better it will be so I’m looking forward to meeting all the boys, training with them and getting playing. It was a process that lasted a little longer than expected so I’m happy to get it done.

“Everyone I spoke to only had good things to say about the club. I know Nat here really well; we’ve been mates since our Inverness days and he told me all about it. Lewis Spence and the manager at Dundee (ex-Pars coach Neil McCann) told me all about it as well so it was an easy decision in that aspect.

“It was an easy decision. It’s a club for me that should be competing in the Premiership so hopefully we’re taking the right steps in order to do that.

“The team have done fantastic this year; the manager and staff have done really well so hopefully we can add to that, push on and try and get up there.

“For me it was a case of coming to play football again and hopefully add to a team that’s already doing well.

“I hope it’s a case of win-win all round.”

Although Vincent hasn’t crossed paths with Dunfermline since moving north of the border to Inverness from Kidderminster Harriers in 2013, the Englishman is already well known – and possibly revered – by Pars fans before he’s turned out in the black and white.

His late winner gave the Highlanders an historic first Scottish Cup in 2015, which came at the expense of Athletic’s bitter rivals Falkirk.

A move to Tayside followed less than a year later but, after featuring regularly last season, Vincent has played just five times for the Dark Blues in the current campaign.

He hopes to add “experience and know-how” to the team and help their push for a play-off place.

“As I said already, the team’s doing really well and if I can add to that then all the better,” he continued.

“I think I’ll bring a bit of energy and legs to the midfield, a bit of experience and know-how and hopefully can just kick-on from there.

“They’ve been there all season (in the play-offs) so I can’t see any reason why we can’t be doing that. It’s just about finding that level of consistency, keeping at it and then I think it’s there for the taking."