ALLOA boss Jim Goodwin was delighted after making midfielder Thomas Grant his sixth summer signing.

Grant, the son of former Aberdeen midfielder Brian, scored against the Wasps for Stenhousemuir last season, and Goodwin was impressed enough to offer the 22-year-old a deal at the Indodrill Stadium.

And the player-manager reckons Grant has what it takes to make the same impact Jordan Kirkpatrick made last season.

Goodwin told Advertiser Sport: "Thomas is a player we saw a fair bit of last season. We did our research on him and spoke to Peter Houston, who managed him at Falkirk.

"He spoke very highly of Thomas. He comes from a good footballing family, and he is technically a very good footballer. He gives us a good option in midfield, and is an ideal replacement for Jordan Kirkpatrick.

"His goal against us sticks out but he's an all-round quality player. He went down south and it didn't quite work out for him but this level won't be a problem.

"Thomas is ambitious and has the aim of going on to play at a higher level – hopefully we can help him on that journey.

"There are still one or two players who I'm pursuing and if they come off, great, but if they don't and I have to start the season with the players I've got, I'd be quite happy to do that. I just want to add one or two bits of quality here and there."

Goodwin also revealed that Andy Graham will captain Alloa this season, and believes the defender is someone all young players should look to emulate.

He said: "Andy will be club captain this season. I'm in the really fortunate position of having a number of experienced players who could have taken the role on, but Andy is the obvious choice.

"He is very reliable and has great leadership qualities. He leads by example and he's the perfect role model for any young player. He's exactly the type of player and captain we need."

The Wasps will face title rivals Raith Rovers on the opening day, and Goodwin reckons both sides will be determined to lay down an early marker in the race for promotion.

He added: "The opening day is a fantastic fixture and I think both ourselves and Raith Rovers will be right up for it. It will be interesting to see what stage both teams are at.

"They have held onto the majority of their squad from last year and added people like Greig and Liam Buchanan, which tells you a bit about the setup there.

"But we don't pay much attention to other teams. I have great faith in our players, and I think there's a real desire and commitment among them to go and do well again this season."