This weekend the focus returns to the Scottish Championship as Dunfermline face Queen’s Park. The Pars have gathered five points from the first four league games and Ewan Otoo has been ever present in all of them.
Indeed the summer signing from Celtic has played every minute of all nine competitive matches this season. No one is surprised that Ewan was voted the Dunfermline fans’ Specialist Cars Volkswagen Fife, Player of the Month for August. With his blend of skill, tenacity, and dedication, the 21 year old has quickly become a standout player for the club.
“I was really happy when I heard that,” he said of his award. “Obviously, I have been working hard this month, I think there is still more to come from me, but I feel like I have been doing well. I’m just happy to get that recognition from the fans. I appreciate the fans who have voted, and hopefully, I can keep pushing on from here.”
Now, Otoo and his teammates are gearing up for an exciting Championship match against Queen’s Park, scheduled to be played at the Spiders’ new temporary home, The National Stadium. He continued:-
“Personally, I’m looking forward to the game and getting to play at the National Stadium. It should be a good game. I have never played at Hampden at any level, it will be a first time.”
In last weekend’s match against Dundee United, Dunfermline faced the challenge with nine players missing from their squad. Despite the hurdles, Ewan believes the team is coping well with these absences.
“We are adapting to it and just focusing on the players that we have got to do the best we can.” Dunfermline have shown their mettle in the Championship, even with key players out of action and Ewan remains confident in the team’s ability to compete in the league.
“I think we have shown that when we have our strongest team out, and even with key players out, we can really compete in the league. We are confident that if we play the best that we can play, regardless of who is playing, we can go out and perform and pick up good results in this league. We are just looking to go and show that.”
One interesting aspect of this Saturday’s match is the reunion between Ewan Otoo and two familiar faces from his time at Celtic. Ben McPherson, the right-back on loan from Celtic, and Barry Hepburn, on loan to Queen’s Park from Bayern Munich, could be lining up against Otoo. The prospect adds extra intrigue to the game.
“I have played with the right-back Ben McPherson and Barry Hepburn. I have played with the two of them, but hopefully, I can get the bragging rights over those two.”
The matchup between Otoo and Hepburn promises to be an intriguing battle on the pitch. Their familiarity with each other’s playing styles could play a pivotal role.
“I will probably be in quite close contact with him,” Ewan admitted. “I have trained with him as well, so I know what he is like. Hopefully, I can use that to my advantage in the game and put in the best performance I can against him to help our team.”
Ewan highlighted the potential to gain from their past training experiences together: “You get in the same situations in training as you will in games. If you are playing against people you know, you know what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, and how you can go about trying to defend against them. I think that will definitely help.”
Another interesting addition to Dunfermline’s squad is Owen Moffat, who recently joined the club on loan from Blackpool. Moffat’s arrival was, in part, influenced by Otoo, who has been friends with him since their time at Celtic.
“I’m really good friends with Owen; we have been friends since we joined Celtic at seven years old. We both joined at the same time, we were in the same year group, and have grown up the last eight or nine years together.”
Moffat, who watched Otoo play in Dunfermline games last season, has integrated well into the squad.
“He has been to watch a couple of our games last season,” Ewan said. “I put a good word in about him. The manager was already very keen on him, but I put in a good word as well. Hopefully, that helped push it over the line as well. I think for all parties that it’s the best move.”
With the addition of Moffat, Dunfermline now boasts three former Celtic youths – Ewan Otoo, Owen Moffat and Ben Summers. This trio adds a sense of familiarity and camaraderie to the squad and Ewan is eager that they create memorable moments together at Dunfermline:-
“It’s really nice having familiar faces around, and better for them as well because I’ve been here for a couple of months, so I’m more familiar with the boys and comfortable with the boys. For them to have me around and also have each other around, it makes it a lot easier for them to settle in.”
