Stirling Albion new boy making home from home at Forthbank as he prepares for debut

New boy Sam Bird admits his move to Stirling Albion is a bolt from the blue – but insists he’s ready to make his mark on Scottish football.

The former Fleetwood Town youngster made the move north earlier this month to join up with the Binos until the end of the season after leaving Stockport County.

It is the first time the 20-year-old Mancunian will have played outside of England, although his efforts have been hampered by call-offs and a lack of SFA clearance.

But Bird – who spent six years in the youth system with Fleetwood – has praised the welcome he has received from Stirling manager Darren Young, as well as his new team-mates.

Bird told the Observer: “I wanted to challenge myself physically and give myself a change, so my agent got on the phone and spoke to a few clubs.

“I looked into Stirling and saw it was a club with a history in a good league and when I came up on the train, I got on with the manager and everything went smoothly from there.

“It’s a very different challenge for me because I like staying at home and being close to family, but the lads have been excellent with me, helping me settle into a different country and culture.

“The first chat with the gaffer was really positive, I spoke about wanting to come in to push for the team and play every week to give me the best chance of progressing.”

The defender’s main position is as a right-back but can play also as a centre-back and in central midfielder.

And he believes his style will fit in well both on the pitch and in the stands at Forthbank.

“The ambition for me is to go higher in Scotland or back in England and this is a great opportunity for me to prove myself in this league”, Bird continued.

“Stirling are a team who like to play good attacking