KEANAN Brand is set on proving people wrong.

Being a 20-year-old with only two Super League games under his belt, the perception of many was that his signing from Widnes Vikings is primarily to help fill the returning reserve side – at least in the short-term.

The reality, though, is that The Wire fought off plenty of competition to bring in a player seen as one of the hottest prospects outside the top flight on a three-year deal.

Brand is clearly a player valued by those around him – being voted as player of the year by his Widnes teammates will attest to that.

Now, the time has come for him to prove it in an elite environment.

“A lot of people will just see me as a kid that has been signed to play reserve grade,” he said.

“It was the same at Widnes but I ended up playing pretty much every first-team game.

“It’s up to me to prove that wrong and I like that challenge.

“I want to change opinions about me that people may already have and I’m looking forward to doing it at Warrington.

“It was a pretty straightforward decision, to be honest.

“I had a couple of offers from Super League clubs, but Warrington seemed the best fit.”

He may have come through the same Wigan St Patricks youth system that has spawned the likes of Sean O’Loughlin, Sam Tomkins and George Williams, but rugby league was not necessarily always in Brand’s future.

Growing up outside the game’s heartlands, the round-ball game was king in his early years.

“I was born in Ormskirk and grew up in Skelmersdale,” he explained.

“I went to play for Wigan St Pats when I was nine and it just went from there. I played for the Wigan town team and was picked up by Widnes.

“I was more into football as a kid – that was the big sport around where I grew up.

“My dad played rugby league for Swinton, though, so I had a way into the sport.

“I went down to play rugby union at Orrell but was going watching my dad play.

“I just loved the way rugby league was with the physicality and how quick it was.”

“My dad was a full-back, then he got too fat so they moved him into the middle!”

Brand makes the move to The Halliwell Jones Stadium alongside Vikings teammate Anthony Gelling, with both expected to compete for first-team spots alongside Toby King and Luther Burrell.

So what can Wire fans expect from their new youngster? And what made him choose Warrington over his other Super League suitors?

“I’m pretty off-the-cuff really. I like to run with the ball and take people on,” he said.

“I like the honesty of Steve Price. He’s a lot like (Widnes head coach) Kieron Purtill in that respect – he just tells you how it is.

“I really like that in a coach because as a player, you need to know what your boundaries are and what they want you to improve on.

“Toby King a prime example of a young lad who Pricey has helped become what I feel is a class player.

“To have that competition with him and Gells will only be good for my game.”