LOOKING forward to the new Junior season with more enthusiasm than most is Clydebank’s new striking recruit Derek Hepburn.

The 24-year-old put pen to paper for Bankies boss Kieran McAnespie during the summer months following a three-year playing stint at Pollok where his starting appearances could be described as sporadic at best.

Having precious few opportunities to shine did not prevent a posse of clubs queuing up for his signature once it was known he was leaving Newlandsfield and his suitors, thought to include Premiership trio Petershill, Irvine Meadow and Rob Roy were left disappointed when Del signed for Clydebank.

Speaking in the aftermath of last Saturday’s 2-0 victory over another of his former clubs, Vale of Clyde, he revealed: "I did have options but I plumped for Clydebank and couldn’t be happier with how things are going.

“Starting every game up to now has been a great boost to my confidence and I’m back to enjoying my football again.

“That was not the case at Pollok where I was more often out of the team than in even if I had played well the previous week.

“Looking back now I should have walked away at the end of the 2016/17 season but coming on as a substitute in the West of Scotland Cup Final and scoring a goal made me think I could force my way into the team – but it wasn’t to be.”

Bankies boss McAnespie has played the versatile forward in a wide role coming from deeper or as an out-and-out striker and he has impressed in both roles with his pinpoint cross on Saturday setting up his side’s second goal for Sean Higgins.

He added: “Lee Morrison was the only survivor from my former Vale side and it was good to see him again; however, there will be no shortage of ex-team-mates to play against if we qualify from this section.

“The winners are at home to Pollok, assuming they get through to the last 16, and that could make for a tasty double-header as the teams are also scheduled to meet in a Premiership game in the following midweek.”

Meanwhile, one of Hepburn’s former Pollok striking partners Michael Daley could be on the verge of obtaining a move away from Arthurlie after the Barrhead club’s new match secretary Jim Hannigan announced his willingness to release the previously transfer-listed 32-year-old to any interested Junior club.

Daley continues to be a contracted Arthurlie player and has trained alongside Dunky Sinclair’s rebuilt squad in recent weeks but he did not feature in last weekend’s 5-3 Sectional League Cup win over Benburb.

In other transfer moves, Auchinleck Talbot have snapped up former Kilwinning Rangers and Stranraer front-man Calvin Kemp and back in the Junior game in a player/coach capacity is Talbot’s former winger Simon Eeles, who has joined last season’s Central Second Division champions Royal Albert.

And so pleasing to hear of a terrific gesture by Glasgow Perthshire and Gartcairn who donated all the gate monies from last night’s Keppoch Park clash to the Airdrie club’s sponsored charity St Andrew's Hospice.