Cove Rangers’ latest signing Robbie Leitch was sold on a move to the north-east by seeing how Paul Hartley’s team play.
Leitch signed a two-year deal with Cove yesterday to become their second summer signing, after defender Morgyn Neill last week.
He is also the latest player to sign for Cove after working with assistant manager Gordon Young during his days as a Motherwell academy coach. Neill and Adam Livingstone, who recently left for Clyde, have also been under Young’s tutelage.
A midfielder by trade, Leitch hopes to benefit from working under Hartley and Young on a long-term basis.
He said: “I’m delighted to get everything sorted and I can fully focus on next season. I know Gordon Young and we spoke a month or so ago, just about their interest, and the last few weeks have been really positive.
“The style of play convinced me. I’ve seen the club grow and it’s heading in the right direction. The way Paul gets his team to play suits me and hopefully I can take that on board.
“I played with Morgyn a good few years ago at Motherwell – me and him grew up together. I know Dan Higgins as well from playing against him.
“They were really difficult to come up against. It was also enjoyable to play in because it was a proper game of football – it wasn’t just kicking it long.”
Leitch is just coming off two years at Falkirk in League One, where he came up against Cove on three occasions last season.
But he has looked beyond Scotland in his playing career. He took the opportunity to go down to Burnley as a youngster, working with first-teamers Jimmy Dunne and Dwight McNeil, as well as a brief spell in Croatia with NK Novigrad.
Leitch added: “You always take bits, you’re always learning. I’m hoping to learn here as well.
“Croatia was a move that came up and I just took the chance. I thought ‘why not?’ I only stayed out there a few months and came back because I got injured.
“Burnley was a good learning curve for me – growing up, living on my own. I’ve taken bits from each club I’ve been at.
“I played with Jimmy Dunne, who was with Hearts for a year, and made his Premier League debut. Dwight McNeill played in my under-23s team and has kicked on massively. He’s a really good player.”
Leitch’s older brother Jack had three years in the north-east with Peterhead, winning the League Two title in 2019, while his father Scott played for Dunfermline, Swindon and Motherwell before embarking on a coaching career.
Sibling rivalry still exists between him and Jack, who left the Blue Toon last year for Stirling Albion.
Leitch added: “He just said I’ll love it. The journey’s not too bad. He got used it.
“There’s still a bit of rivalry between the two of us – there always will be.”