WE’RE NOT DONE YET
Ninth signing will not be the last
Stirling Albion have made defender Gareth Rodger their ninth new signing of the summer.
The left-sided centre-half was previously with St Johnstone and joins the Binos after spending the past two seasons with Edinburgh City.
Rodger, 25, has also played for Forfar Athletic and had loan spells with Montrose, Brechin City and Ballymena United during his time at St Johnstone.
Manager Kevin Rutkiewicz, who managed to escape to Tenerife for a few days’ holiday before the start of pre-season training tomorrow (Thursday), has had a very busy summer as he shapes his squad for the 2019/20 campaign, the fixtures for which will be published a week on Friday. Rodger became the latest new recruit at the weekend, following the arrivals of goalkeeper Blair Currie (Clyde); defenders Paul McLean (Brechin City), James Creaney (Annan Athletic) and Jordan Lowdon (Elgin City); midfielders Kevin Nicoll (Clyde) and David Wilson (Annan Athletic); and strikers Josh Peters and Lewis Hawke (both Queen’s Park).
Albion now have 17 first-team players signed up and look well covered at the back but Rutkiewicz could look to add a winger to his squad before the new season while youngsters Will Greenhorn, Cammy Murray and Mitchell MacDonald are also likely to be given the chance to impress.
Rutkiewicz said: “I’m pleased to get Gareth on board and with him being a left-sided centre-half it gives us another option in that area as the likes of Ross McGeachie and Kyle Banner are right-sided. I feel we have a solid base to build from but we may look to add some pace and width further forward if we can.
“We have good competition now throughout the squad and that is important. We have managed to get most of our business done early, which is what I wanted, but I would expect other clubs to catch up in terms of recruitment.”
Stirling kick off their Betfred Cup Group C campaign at home to Hibernian on Saturday, July 13 before hosting Arbroath on Wednesday, July 17. They travel to Elgin on Saturday July 20 and complete their fixtures against Alloa Athletic on Tuesday, July 23.
Rutkiewicz added: “We’re looking forward to it and with one team from each division it gives us some different opposition. The Hibs game is obviously the glamour one but every dog has its day and we need to go into all the games with belief.”
Meanwhile striker Peter MacDonald has joined Lowland League East Stirlingshire after leaving Stirling Albion last week.