FROM the moment he realised he had no future at Raith Rovers, Liam Buchanan waited in hope that Jim Goodwin would call him again.

The veteran striker had already rejected the advances of the Irishman the past two seasons instead opting to stay and finish the job at Stark's Park rather than return to the Wee County.

But, on this occasion it proved to be third time lucky for Goodwin as he finally secured the sought after services of the man who lit up the Recs during his first spell at the club under Barry Smith.

"As soon as I knew I was leaving Raith Rovers, it was one of those calls I hoped to get," a delighted Buchanan told Advertiser Sport.

"I met Paddy Connolly at the airport and he said he would speak to Jim. It was one of them when I looked I knew I wanted to get back to Alloa and work under a manager who has been in demand the last few seasons, which can only mean good things.

"Jim obviously liked me as a player for a number of years and as a player when you've got a manager who is trying to sign you season after season then it does your confidence no harm.

"I had another few part-time offers and another Championship offer, but felt at this point the chance to work under Jim was too good to turn down."

Buchanan revealed he very nearly returned a year earlier with Smith allowing him to speak to Alloa last summer; however, he decided he wanted to stay and try to help Raith win promotion from League One.

While he was ultimately unsuccessful as the Rovers failed to beat Queen of the South in the play-off final, his return to Clackmannanshire has already excited the Wasps faithful who hope he can enjoy a similarly successful spell as he did the first time around.

The former Livingston, Partick Thistle, and Airdrie United man found the net 17 times, including strikes in draws at Ibrox, as he played his part in Alloa's Championship survival in the 2014-15 season.

"It wasn't a long period at the club," the 34-year-old said. "But sometimes you don't need to spend a lot of time at a place to have fond memories of it.

"We played in a competitive league that year with Rangers, Hearts and Hibs all in the Championship and we managed to stay up.

"There were some amazing experiences, including going to Ibrox and scoring and then putting Rangers out the cup.

"It's a case of you don't need to be at a club for eight or nine years to really make it feel special to you.

"You aren't going back to a club because of what you did in the past, but I believe Jim wanted me because he thinks I am going to score goals now and help the club going forward.

"The knowledge of your game always improves and I think you are likely to not make as many silly runs as you might have done in the past.

"I believe I will still score goals in the Championships and confident that going back I can use those memories to try and inspire me to create more."

Leaving Raith ends Buchanan's four-year stint in the full-time game and when asked about how he would plug the gap from full-time to part-time football he joked his "missus had already asked the same thing".

The forward has set his sights on a career in coaching, but is content to take his time until he is fully settled back into pre-season before making any inroads in the dugout.

For now, he's intent on playing his part in securing survival once again for the Wasps and says he already feels at home in the dressing room.

He said: "You see the spirit they showed last season and the run they went on and it looked like a place you wanted to go and play your football.

"It's always been a really well run part-time club and the way the boys performed last season showed they have a willingness to win and never give up.

"I just thought, do you know what, I'd like to be part of it."