Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
ROVERS IS MY SECOND SHOT
Cairney football return joy with boss Reid
Albion Rovers new boy Paul Cairney wants to repay boss Brian Reid for rescuing him from the football wilderness.
The former Hibs and Partick Thistle midfielder has been without a club for two years since leaving Peterhead.
The 32-year-old reckons that an ill-fated spell at Balmoor put a lot of clubs off snapping him up.
Cairney is delighted Reid, who he worked under at Stranraer, has taken the gamble to bring him to Cliftonhill.
“I’ve not played for about two years now after leaving
Peterhead,” he told the Advertiser.
“I just found myself out of the game, but as soon as I spoke to Brian I jumped at the chance to go and work with him again.
“That was a big thing for me when he phoned after being out of the game for so long.
“He gave me a massive opportunity and I’m going to grasp it with both hands.”
He went on: “To be honest, I didn’t think I would play football again.
“I had a bad time at Peterhead. They might say things about me, and I might say things about them, but it’s by the by.
“Personally, I think I might have a bad name in the game because of my fitness and weight at the time.
“I’m going to do everything I can to get fit, to play and a reach the standard where I think I should be.
“I hated it at Peterhead, and they might say the same about me.
“Thankfully I have this massive opportunity with Rovers to prove I’m good enough to play at that level; if not higher.
“I want to repay Brian for this opportunity.”
Having played at the top of the Scottish game, Cairney hopes to use his experience to help a young Rovers squad in League Two next term.
However, he admits his focus will be on his own fitness first.
He added: “I want to help the young boys at the club get along, but first and foremost for me I need to get myself fit.
“I’m sure with my experience of the game I can help the young players out.
“I want to go in and prove I’m good enough.
“I want to do well for Albion Rovers and get them up the league; I want to finish as high as possible.
“I’ve played with quite a good few teams now and worked under some great managers.
“Hopefully working with Brian again we can do something.”