Luke Graham: I was itching to come back to Falkirk on loan from Dundee

Falkirk's Luke Graham in action during Saturday's 5-2 win over Partick Thistle (Photo: Paul Byars/SNS Group)

Fans’ favourite Luke Graham hailed a “statement win” for Falkirk on his return after re-joining the club on loan for the remainder of the William Hill Championship campaign.

The Dundee centre-back, 20, started in the unfamiliar spot of left-back during Saturday’s 5-2 win over Partick Thistle which sent the Bairns back to the top of the table.

Graham previously played 14 times in the second tier for Falkirk before being recalled in January due to Tony Docherty’s side injury-crisis in defence. But that crisis faded and the defender was allowed to move back to John McGlynn’s side last week.

"It was brilliant to be back on the pitch with the lads – I did really miss it when I was away back at Dundee,” Graham told the Falkirk Herald.

“I was itching to come back. I have come back to play games and it was a good start being straight back on the pitch.

“It was weird starting out there but I grew into it and I ended off really enjoying it. I had a couple of shanked crosses putting the ball into row Z though!”

New team-mate Scott Arfield stole the show, scoring a hat-trick on his Falkirk homecoming, and Graham says the ex-Rangers midfielder’s experience and know-how will be a big asset for the Bairns going forward.

“Scotty is an experienced lad,” he added. “He is so composed and he just knows where the ball is going to land in those sort of areas. I am buzzing for him.

“I watched him play in Old Firm derbies and it is amazing have him in our group. Having that experience in the dressing room is brilliant.”

Falkirk now host second-placed Ayr United in a table-topping clash this Saturday afternoon.

Scott Brown’s side got the better of the Bairns at Somerset Park back in December, winning 5-2 after Graham was wrongly ordered off for an early handball – with that decision rescinded by an appeal afterwards.

And the centre-back is looking for revenge this weekend: “The last game against Ayr was a tough one. We know what we need to do and we are at home in front of our own fans.

"Getting back to winning ways was needed. It was the statement win we needed against a good Partick Thistle team in the top four. It was important to show the rest of the league that we aren’t going to roll over after a couple of poor results.”