DEADLINE DAY arrival Owen Moffat has revealed that hearing about life at Dunfermline from one of his close pals helped him decide on a move to the club.

On Friday, before the closure of the transfer window, the 21-year-old completed a move to KDM Group East End Park on a season-long loan from Blackpool.

Stirling-born Moffat moved to the English League One outfit last August from Celtic, with whom he won the League Cup in 2021, having progressed through their youth system.

His switch to the Seasiders, having signed a three-year deal, saw him initially link-up with their development squad and a lack of opportunities with their first team opened the door for a loan move.

Moffat, who made his debut from the bench in Saturday's draw with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, had previously trained with Hamilton Academical but positive words about the Pars from former Hoops team-mate, Ewan Otoo, set his mind on joining James McPake's side.

"Towards the end of last season I didn't really get many minutes with the first team, many opportunities, so I thought there would be some meeting towards the end," Moffat explained to Press Sport.

"I had spoken to Stephen Dobbie, who was my coach, and he had said there will probably be an opportunity that you'll be able to go on loan next season. As soon as he said that, I thought about Dunfermline, because of my friends here - Ewan and Ben Summers.

"Obviously, Ben signed later on, but Ewan was always telling me about how big the club was, how good it was, and since I've come in, I've loved it.

"I was in the same team as Ewan since I was nine, we've been at high school together, so I've known him for a good 10 years at least.

"I left Celtic last summer and I'm sure he came in the Christmas time here (Otoo signed on loan in February, before completing a permanent deal in the summer). We always kept in touch and I think I came to watch him once or twice, against Airdrie maybe, at Airdrie's stadium.

"I always knew that it was a big club and then I was speaking to him for the first few weeks of the window, and he was saying 'do you think it'll happen? Do you know what's going on?'. I was like 'I don't really know', and I think the gaffer had spoken to him and asked about me, what I was like as a player, and it moved on from there."

Moffat joined his boyhood favourites Celtic at the age of seven and went on to progress to their first-team, making his debut in a win over Ross County in December 2021.

A week later, then Hoops boss, Ange Postecoglou, brought him off the bench for two-goal Kyogo Furuhashi as they lifted the League Cup against Hibernian, before making his first start three days later against St Mirren.

That, however, was his last top team appearance for the Glasgow giants before moving south, with Moffat now hoping to enjoy a new lease of life with Dunfermline for the remainder of the current campaign.

"I did have other options. I was in training with Hamilton for a week before, and I'd played a game with them, but I knew there was a possibility of Dunfermline being interested," he continued.

"It progressed on that Dunfermline wanted me to come in and train. I'd spoken to Hamilton and told them that. They were aware of that before I went there that Dunfermline were interested, then I came here, trained, and as soon as I came here, I wanted to get it done because I loved it.

"I really enjoyed it since the moment I stepped in. The boys have been really nice with me."

Manager McPake, who revealed that the club were in talks to try and sign Moffat last year, commented: "He wanted to try his chances in English football, which I completely understood last season when we were in talks with him.

"He's went down there and, for whatever reason, it's not quite worked so far. He's still got a couple of years left at Blackpool, but we're delighted to get him in.

"Just over a year-and-a-half-ago, or whenever that was, he was coming on in a cup final, a tight cup final, for Celtic against Hibs, so it shows what they thought of him in there.

"He went to Blackpool and, look, English football's tough. I know that myself, so that can happen at times. He's only still a young kid.

"He's very direct, he's a goal threat and he can carry the ball. He showed all that on Saturday in his brief appearance.

"We're looking forward to working with him."