Hibs loanee Josh McCulloch says he is ready to step into Albion Rovers’ backline and play his part in keeping the Coatbridge side off bottom spot in League 2 heading into the final three outings of the regular season, writes Ben Kearney.
The versatile defender comes into Saturday’s home match against Stenhousemuir on the back of helping the Wee Hibees secure the SPFL Reserve League title on Tuesday night against Queen of the South.
Having come on as a substitute in that 6-0 win for Steve Kean’s team – McCulloch believes his experience of playing in the UEFA Youth League, and learning from Easter Road stalwart Darren McGregor, will only further benefit him.
“It is brilliant to play beside him (Darren) because you learn so much and he talks you through games,” McCulloch told the Albion Rovers website. “He is absolutely massive and it is funny seeing him sometimes go up against some of the younger players – but he plays with a real responsibility and appetite to win.
“Having him work with me, alongside everyone else at Hibs, has really brought my game on and I am looking forward to hopefully being more involved in these final matches here at Albion Rovers. Winning the Reserve League in midweek was brilliant and a great moment, but my current focus trying to help keep this club up.”
McCulloch has featured off the bench so far for Sandy Clark’s side, but the defender may find himself in from the start this weekend against the Warriors with Luke Graham out suspended and Ayrton Sonkur 50/50 for making the match.
“I am ready to play whenever I am called upon,” the defender added. “I have enjoyed being here and learning from Sandy and George (Paterson), everyone in the squad is great too and there is a good atmosphere despite where we are in the table.
“We are all still fighting and I think I can make an impact in the team if I get a chance, but if I am on the bench then I will be ready too as you might still play an important part in the game. League 2 has been tough for me so far.
“I think it probably gets a bad name for itself. Having played in a few games now against different teams, I think there is a lot of quality at this level and there are some really good players.”
READ MORE: Manager Sandy Clark’s pre-match thoughts can be read below:
