ALLOA new boy Frank McKeown says he can’t wait to get started after signing on at the Indodrill Stadium.

The defender completed his switch last night (Thursday) after leaving Stranraer and revealed he came close to joining the Wasps last summer.

Now the 30-year-old has set his sights on promotion and says he has to make up for lost time after injury ruined his shot at Championship football with Morton.

McKeown told Advertiser Sport: “I am looking forward to getting playing again. This is a great club with good people and a good management team and a great bunch of players.

"First impressions have been really good. I know a lot of the boys who were already here but until you experience it for yourself you don’t really know what a new club is going to be like.

"I got a great welcome at my first training session and I thought the setup was very professional from the minute I walked in. It is a very well-run club and a welcoming place too.

“Jack Ross actually tried to sign me at the start of the season and I had the option of coming here or going back to Stranraer. I went back to Stranraer purely because I had been there before.

"I had heard of Alloa’s interest and once I realised that I was going to be moving on, things moved pretty quickly and we managed to get the deal done last night (Thursday).

“The biggest priority is to get promoted," he added. "It’s the reason I came to Alloa in the first place.

"Last season I went to Morton and would have been playing full-time in the Championship, but I picked up a knee injury.

"Last year was one of those situations which sometimes happens in football. It wasn’t nice and you have to be really strong mentally to come back from it.

"I’ve got to make up for lost time and get back to playing at the level I know I should be playing at.”

McKeown revealed he is already familiar with several of his new team-mates and reckons that will help him settle in as he looks to force his way into player-manager Jim Goodwin’s starting lineup.

He said: “The fact I know some of the guys already will definitely help me to settle in.

"I have played with Scott Taggart, Neil Parry and Jamie Longworth before so I know how they play and what sort of characters they are.

"There are other guys there too who I am really friendly with outside of football. It is a great bunch of boys in the dressing room.

“Andy [Graham] and Jason [Marr] have done great and it is just a matter of me taking my chance when it comes along.

"I’m sure it would be the same if it was one of them trying to earn a place in the team. At the moment I am just going to get myself settled in and get to know the boys.”

McKeown admitted it was difficult to leave Stranraer after playing nearly 200 games across two spells, but says that once Alloa offered him a fresh start, he jumped at the chance.

He added: “Stranraer was such a big part of my life for a long period of time. I played in 192 games in all competitions and captained the side in most of them as well.

"Everyone at the club was great but it just felt like it was time to move on.

"When I went back, certain circumstances had changed and I felt it was time for a fresh start.

"Alloa were interested and a couple of other clubs were keen too but I was never going anywhere other than Alloa.”