ATHLETIC are keen to bring in a goalkeeper who will have the credentials to challenge for the number one jersey.

That's the view of assistant boss, Dave Mackay, who said that they are keeping an open mind as to whether to recruit a permanent goalie or bring in someone on loan.

At the end of the season, number two, Max Little, was one of six players released by Dunfermline, bringing a two-year stint with the club to an end.

When asked about a new goalie, Mackay replied: "It just depends who comes up.

"We'll speak about that and, obviously, Andy Collier, the goalkeeper coach, will have a say in that as well.

"It's such an important role to have somebody coming in, and you want players challenging for a first team position. It won't be somebody we'll look to bring in and say 'you're coming in to be a number two'.

"We want two number ones and to be pushing Deniz Mehmet all the way to make sure that he maintains the standards that he's set, and if he drops below them, you've got somebody ready to come in and play.

"Whether that's a permanent signing, whether it's a loan signing, it's a really important role that we'll need to fill."

Former Queens Park Rangers player Little was brought in in the summer of 2022, after James McPake and Mackay arrived at East End, but made just three first-team appearances.

He played in SPFL Trust Trophy ties with Celtic 'B', in 2022, and Dundee United last season, whilst he also came off the bench late on for the injured Mehmet in the final league game of the campaign at Ayr United last month.

Little found his chances of game time further restricted when McPake went back to former club Dundee to bring Harry Sharp in on loan until January, after Mehmet picked up an injury at the beginning of the season.

"Max Little came in, did great for us for the two years, but never got a real chance," Mackay explained.

"Again that comes down to the form of Deniz, who was excellent, and then when Deniz got injured at the start of last season, we hadn't really seen Max in a first team environment.

"He had played some reserve games, did reasonably well, moments where you're thinking not quite sure, and that's when we brought Harry Sharp in.

"He had a couple of mistakes in games which, no doubt, were a little bit high profile, but I thought Harry did really well in his spell here.

"We'd tried and trusted. We'd worked with Harry for a while, so we knew what we were getting, so, again, Max was a little bit of a victim of how well Deniz was doing towards the end of the season.

"You just have to move players on at times. It's as much for their own good as it is for us refreshing the squad. Sometimes it happens.

"But he's a really great kid and I'm sure he'll go on and do well as well wherever he ends up."