THE departure of Greg Shields from Dunfermline has been described as a "sore one for the football club" as James McPake praised his work within their academy.

Last week, Press Sport reported that the 47-year-old, who made 235 appearances for the Pars during two separate spells as a player, was leaving the club to pursue a career opportunity outwith football.

Shields, who grew up in Kincardine and attended Dunfermline High School, returned to Athletic in a coaching capacity in 2019, working alongside then head coach, Stevie Crawford.

In the summer of 2022, he took up a role of heading up the football side of the academy, and led a young Pars side to the final of last season's cinch Reserve Cup.

Dunfermline Press:

When asked by Press Sport for his thoughts on Shields' departure and work with the academy, McPake explained: "It's a massively important role at the football club, particularly I think in the transition of going from Fife Elite to our own academy.

"It was a massive draw, personally for me, that we had our own academy again. I think it's something that's so important.

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"Fans can relate to that. You want to see as many of your own players coming through and playing in your first team. We've got that.

"I think Greg's done a fantastic job in his time at this club. He had a great spell as a player - obviously, he had some great times here as a player, with some really good teams, being a big part of that - and then he's coached.

"He worked with the first team and then worked at the academy levels with the ones that are then coming in to our first team to train, all the way down to the younger pre-academy kids. It's a vital role and I think he's done it really well.

Dunfermline Press: James McPake said Shields had helped create an identity throughout the age groups within the club's academy.James McPake said Shields had helped create an identity throughout the age groups within the club's academy. (Image: Craig Brown.)

"It's tough to look at academies and say have they been a success because, normally, you judge that success on getting players coming through. I think that's a tough way of looking at it, because that player that came through could've spent the last two years working with Greg, but still only been 13 or 14.

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"There's different levels to that but I think, with all the age groups, he's been great. He was great with me when I first came in as well because I was new coming into the club.

"I'd never worked with Greg before, but he gave me a great hand at the very start. We wish him all the best. He's decided to try something outwith football, and he'll certainly be a miss to this football club in my opinion, just the way the academy's going.

"The person coming in will have a big job on them to continue and drive the academy forward the way that Greg was doing.

"We'd a bit of success last year with the reserves going to the Reserve Cup Final. Yeah, we lost the game, but what an experience for those kids. Then, all the way down, there is an identity to our football club now through our academy, and a lot of that's down to Greg.

"On behalf of certainly the first team, and that side of the football club, we're really sad to see him go, but we wish him all the best with whatever he does in the future.

"He'll always be welcome back here any time he wants to come back, and I'm sure he'll not be a stranger because he's had too long at this football club.

"It's a sore one for the football club, but Greg's made his decision to move on."