JAMES MCPAKE has hailed new signing Dapo Mebude as a "right talent" and has backed the "dynamic" attacker to offer something different to his Pars squad.

On Wednesday evening, the club announced that the 23-year-old former Rangers and Scotland under-21 player had signed a one-year contract, having trained with them in recent weeks.

Dunfermline have hoped Mebude would have been available to feature in Saturday's home loss to Queen's Park, but a hold-up with his registration, complicated by the fact his last club, KV Oostende in Belgium, were declared bankrupt in the summer, delayed paperwork being completed.

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He is, however, likely to be involved for tomorrow's trip to Airdrieonians, and McPake is confident he will add another dimension to his team's play.

"We were hoping to have it done last week, but obviously there were issues with the club he was with, obviously, a liquidation or whatever happened to them, so it was a wee bit complicated," the Pars boss explained.

"Disappointing for him in particular because he was raring ago, but hopefully he uses that this weekend. I am looking forward to working with him. He's a player I can remember back in youth teams and obviously following his career.

"I'm sure he told you himself he has had a tough time recently, but he is looking really good and, if we get him right and get him going, then he's a right talent.

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"He is certainly different from the others that we've got, in a good way. He's different, with the qualities he's got, and obviously other players have got their own qualities, but it just that he is very dynamic, very strong, clever, and, to be fair to him, he's played a fair bit of football as well for a younger one.

"So yeah, he is different, and I can see what he means with that."

Mebude, who played alongside Chris Hamilton at youth level with Scotland, and with Kane Ritchie-Hosler whilst with Rangers, moved to Belgium in 2022 after leaving Watford, whom he'd joined after departing Ibrox.

In January of this year, however, Mebude suffered life-threatening injuries in a freak car accident, which saw him cut out of the vehicle, and spend five days in a coma.

He also required emergency surgery following the incident, and was then left without a club when KV Oostende were declared bankrupt in June.

When it was put to him that his new signing appeared to be mentally strong following a tough year, and whether that was another plus in bringing him into the squad, McPake replied: "I cannot comment on the strength of people's mindsets or how they are but, for what he's been through, to come back and and get himself going again just in normal everyday life, which he's done, and then get in and show that he's fit, ready to train everyday and play, it shows that he's recovered from that situation, and I look at the quality of him as a footballer.

"I'm not qualified to touch on how his mental strength is but he's a good player.

"I think the fact that a lot in the group is young, coming into that environment where there is a lot of young players, in particular, a lot of younger players that he's came across, either playing with or playing against in the same age group - I think he's been in international squads with Chris Hamilton and stuff like that - so he's familiar with the boys.

"He's pretty outgoing, which helps him anyway and he's just come in, he's been refreshing, he's been good in training and everything he's done. I like the way his characters been about the place as well, he's bubbly.

"For Dapo now it's a chance for him to go and show that he can do it on the pitch. That's really where he will be judged, but I'm sure he can be a success."