Defender Russell desperate for game time to reignite his career at Kilby
East Kilbride Thistle gave Barry Russell the platform to pursue a dream move to the SPFL seven years ago.
Now the defender hopes a return to the Showpark can reignite his stalling career across town at Lowland League East Kilbride.
The 29-year-old, who spent two years at the Jags between 2009 and 2011, has joined on a one-month loan deal after falling out of favour at K-Park this season.
Russell has been a reluctant spectator for most of the campaign, limited to a handful of appearances under Brian Kerr before he departed for the assistant manager’s role at Partick Thistle last month.
Even interim Kilby boss Stuart Malcolm has kept the club’s former skipper on the bench.
So Russell has taken it upon himself to head elsewhere in the hope of finding the form that earned him moves to Albion Rovers and Stranraer a few years back.
The plan now is to get games under his belt and force his way into the Kilby side once again.
He said: “I’m back where it all started for me.
“Thistle brings back good memories because the two years I had there were brilliant and that set me off into senior football as well.
“I owe it to the coaches at Thistle then – Colin Mitchell, Ian Penman and Jimmy Kerr especially – for getting me the move to Albion Rovers.
“So hopefully I go back and I get a wee bit of luck again that kicks things on for me.
“That’s been in my mind a bit. The chance to get going again.
“I spoke to Malks at East Kilbride and he was swaying over whether to let me go or not, but I explained that I need to be playing. I’ve sat for too long now.
“It happens in football, sometimes you play and sometimes you don’t.
“I never suited the way Brian Kerr set up. I might have suited the way Malks set up, but it hasn’t happened and we don’t know what’s happening with the manager situation yet, so I felt the time was right.
“But I’m not ready to quit East Kilbride.
“I’ll keep fighting for my place there, I just need game time.”
Russell’s switch also sees him reunited with former Jags team-mate Alan Paterson.
Now the Thistle gaffer, Paterson was desperate to bring in a player of Russell’s experience to shore up a defence that shipped eight goals in the two games prior to his arrival. And it’s a move that works well for both parties.
Russell, from West Mains, added: “It’s an easy option for me. It’s local, I’ve been there before and I played with Alan at Thistle many moons ago – that was when I ended David Roome’s career at leftback! Alan was on his last legs at that point.
“But I’m good pals with him, [coach] John Brown and [assistant boss] Billy Dolan.
“There’s the same old faces around the club like Martin [Sutherland, the match secretary], so I’m looking forward to it.
“I spoke to Alan last week and he was telling me about the defensive errors they’ve been making and how he wanted me to come in.
“He seemed keen and I felt it was right for me to go there, get my confidence back, get my fitness up and come back to East Kilbride in a few weeks a different player and a lot fitter.”
While enduring a frustrating few months with the Kilby
first team, Russell has turned out twice for the reserves in the SPFL West Reserve League 2.
But he believes the physical nature of Junior football will serve him better if he wants to be a regular for title-chasing EKFC.
“The reserves wasn’t really doing it for me,” Russell admitted.
“The Juniors will be much more competitive and suit me better.
“The last game I played with the Reserves, there was zero shots on target so I wasn’t tested and felt it was a bit pointless.
“But I know what Junior football is like and it suits me.
“You don’t get any easy games in the Juniors. It’s dirty at times and that’s kind of what the Lowland League is like.
“The ability might be different but I won’t be looking at this as a step down. “To enjoy my football again is the key thing for me and I just want to get back playing.” Winter has arrived, however, and as he prepared to run out for his first session with Thistle – ironically at Kilby’s home ground of K-Park where the Jags train once a week – the reliability of Thistle’s Showpark pitch at this time of year is something Russell hasn’t forgotten.
He quipped: “The weather better be alright so I get the chance to play some games!”