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Dean Brill looks forward to the battle for first-choice goalkeeper with Crag Samson at Motherwell

goalkeeper Dean Brill in training with his new club Motherwell
Image: Dean Brill is looking forward to fighting for a place at Motherwell

New Motherwell goalkeeper Dean Brill is relishing the competition with Craig Samson to become first pick at his new club.

Samson has waited patiently for his chance since joining Motherwell in September 2015, having been understudy to on-loan Middlesbrough stopper Connor Ripley.

The Scotland stopper made only two appearances towards the end of last season, a 1-0 win at home to Hearts and a 3-1 victory in Dingwall over Ross County.

Samson is expected to get his chance this season but Motherwell boss Mark McGhee has been swift to bring in experienced competition in Brill, whose three-year stay with Inverness CT ended in June.

The 30-year-old reckons the competition for a starting place can only be positive for the Fir Park club.

Craig Samson making a rare appearance for Motherwell against Hearts
Image: Craig Samson was second choice at Motherwell last season

Brill said: "It's a good one. We are both experienced enough. We have both been in the game and possibly in this situation before. I certainly have.

"And it's one I'm looking forward to and relishing. He is a good guy as well as a good goalkeeper but I want to be playing and, come the start of the season, that's where I hope to be.

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"I'm a footballer, I want to play football, but at the same time I'm not scared of a challenge. Goalkeeping is different to most positions: it's one or the other, you can't play both at once.

"As long as I get a good crack of the whip, and Craig will probably say the same, I'm happy and I back myself to fight for that jersey."

Celtic winger Gary Mackay-Steven offers comfort to Dean Brill after his injury
Image: Brill aggravated a knee injury against Celtic in April 2015

Brill has only made one first-team appearance in 18 months, when he aggravated a knee injury against Celtic in April 2015.

The problem resulted in him losing his place to Owain Fon Williams, meaning there was no contract extension on the table in the summer after a period of playing in the Inverness U20 team.

"It was a different injury, it's not common and it was a big operation," the former Luton player said.

"But I was lucky enough to have the best surgeon in the UK, which I'm grateful to Inverness for. I will always be grateful to them for looking after me.

"But I have been in full training since the end of March and played five or six games for the Inverness 20s so I feel I have fully come through it."

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