ALLOA'S new front man Alan Trouten has set his sights on testing himself against the chasing pack in the Championship this coming campaign.

The former Albion Rovers man, who was among the highest scorers in League One last season, joined up with his new teammates as pre-season preparations at The Recs continued.

He will join the likes of returning fan favourite Greig Spence in battling for a start spot in attack when the League Cup kick starts the season next month.

He told Advertiser Sport: "I'm looking forward to the coming season; it will be really exciting.

"I've played in League One for a while now and I'm looking ahead to testing myself in the Championship, playing against better teams, in bigger stadiums and on better pitches."

He added: "We all know that it will be a tough league. Partick Thistle and Ross County will be coming down and looking to go straight back up; Dundee United have been there a few season and they'll be desperate to get promoted.

"There's also Falkirk, Greenock Morton and Queen of the South in there too – so it will be so close all year. Every single game will be tough; all those teams know how to win games.

"Being a part-time club in the division puts us at a disadvantage straight away, but we feel we can play well and give a good account of ourselves."

While Trouten will be hoping to continue his form in front of goal, he is keen to see his team fare better than Albion Rovers last time around.

He continued: "For me, last season was a bit bittersweet. I was happy with the goals I scored, but to finish the season bottom of the table and to be relegated was very disappointing.

"It was strange as it started well for us at Albion Rovers, we even got a big result against Alloa in September. But the wheels just came off for us and I can't quite put my finger on what happened."

After that 5-2 win for Trouten and co at The Recs, Alloa went on to record three straight wins over Albion.

Despite the cumbersome season for Rovers, Trouten still managed to bag 20 goals for the club, second only to Lawrence Shankland in the goalscoring charts.

After Albion were relegated from League One, his name might have been among the first in the minds of many managers; however, it is Alloa's reputation for playing attractive football that sealed the deal for him.

He said: "I've always enjoyed the way Alloa play – they always get the ball down and pass and have always been challenging at the right end of the table.

"Playing against them, you can see they play football and it's a style I feel I can fit in with.

"And the manager has massive belief in the players – in those he has re-signed for the season and those he has brought in.

Indeed, Wasps will be hoping for Trouten and Spence to form a free-scoring partnership up top.

The forward added: "Last time Greig was at the club he scored plenty of goals – he's experienced and has played a lot of football. And with Iain Flannigan, Kevin Cawley, Jake Hastie, Adam Brown and David Galt, there are plenty of options in attack."