HE has yet to play a game for his new club but John Baird is already anticipating one key benefit of being a Partick Thistle player.
"I won't have as much travelling so my wife is happy; it means she can have the car for a bit," said the Glaswegian, of being based in his home city after a three-year absence.
If the regular car journeys to Kirkcaldy, then Dundee, were something of a nuisance during that period they did little to detract from his development. In his two years at Raith Rovers, he emerged as a fans' favourite, with Baird scoring 13 times in each of his two seasons at the club. That earned him a move to Dens Park last summer and, although the goals did not flow to the same extent – he was signed to play in the first division before Dundee's unexpected elevation to the top division – there were definite signs towards the end of the season that he was comfortable at that level, especially following John Brown's appointment as manager.
That was enough to convince Thistle to make him their first signing as they prepare for a return to the top division after a nine-year absence. Baird was similarly happy to sign for manager Alan Archibald, who has further bolstered his pool by re-signing Aaron Muirhead and Christie Elliott after impressive campaigns. "I came to a couple of games last year and saw how much potential the club has got," he said after completing a two-year deal.
"When the manager phoned me, there wasn't any debate. I knew there was an interest in me last season with the old manager [Jackie McNamara]. I knew there was a bit of interest from the new manager. When Dundee went down, [Thistle] made contact with the club but they didn't make contact with me at first. It got sorted from there.
"I am looking forward to it. It is a club on the up, especially when you look at the younger players they have. I watched them and a lot of them are really impressive. I was talking to Paul Gallacher [another summer signing] and he said they were the best team in the league last season. It is not the first time I have heard that. After watching them, I could see they were a good side.
"The manager has brought me in to enhance the squad. They have scored a lot of goals and they create a lot of chances. As a striker, that is what you are looking for; you want opportunities and chances to score."
The move allows Baird to remain in the top flight and that was vital. "If you asked any player where they want to play in Scotland it has got to be the SPL," he said. "That is what you strive to do as a kid, go to places like Parkhead – normally Ibrox too – plus Hibs, Hearts, Aberdeen, and Dundee United. It is where you want to go and test yourself."
Baird looks back on his sole season at Dundee with mixed feelings. A barren first half of the campaign was made more difficult due to personal circumstances, while the second half was more of a success. He scored five goals after the turn of the year and felt his confidence rise under Brown.
"The first half of the season was difficult," he conceded. "My father-in-law had cancer and then passed away within the space of three weeks. I took a knock that way. At the turn of the year, John Brown came in and I got to play in my normal position and I got goals.
"I went through a spell where the team was doing well and I was playing in my own position. I remember the manager came to me and said, 'you have scored goals at every level and you will score goals here. I will play you where you normally play'. He was brilliant for me and I think that is how I have ended up getting this opportunity."
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