Dundee United defender Danny Grainger has spoken of his surprise at lifting the SPL Young Player of the Month award for January.The 21-year-old was rewarded for a series of excellent performances since joining from Gretna during the transfer window and he revealed events of the last six weeks have come as a complete surprise.

Grainger, a regular for the Black and Whites when they won the First Division title last season, had grown disillusioned with life at the SPL's bottom club and was prepared to take a step back in search of regular football.

But United boss Craig Levein snapped him up as a long-term replacement for full-back Christian Kalvenes and he has already become a firm fans' favourite.

Grainger, who faces a race to be fit to play against St Mirren in the Scottish Cup on Wednesday night, said: "I spoke to the management at Gretna about leaving because I wasn't happy.

"I've always had a good relationship with (Gretna boss) Davie Irons and spoke to him about it but he told me to stick it out.

"But I'd made up my mind so I went to (owner) Brooks Mileson and he said he'd let me go if he got the compensation they would be due in the summer.

"I didn't expect to end up at a club like this, I was preparing myself to drop down a division.

"I just wanted to get my career back on track because I'd played first-team football last season and loved it.

"I was in and out of the team at Gretna and that's part of the game at times but I just wanted to play.

"I would have gone to the First Division to take one step back for two forward but thankfully the gaffer here came in for me.

"It's a different standard here, we played Hibs on Saturday and were disappointed with a draw but back at Gretna you'd be over the moon with a result like that.

"The standards here are much higher, we're pushing for third place and are hoping to be in two cup finals by the end of the season.

"I've been carrying a groin strain but I've been in with the physio and, if the manager needs me, I'm ready to play."

Willo Flood, Lee Wilkie, Noel Hunt and Sean Dillon have all been carrying knocks but Levein expects them to be fit.

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