Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Football is a for refreshed
ANYONE who’s come across him down the years will testify enthusiasm has never been an issue with new Dundee United reserve team manager Craig Easton.
As far back as when he was part of the youth system he’s now spearheading, Craig’s huge appetite for the game was always apparent.
Even he, though, admits a spell out of the game a couple of years back was a perfect reminder of just how good life in football is.
It came when financial problems at Torquay United forced him into an unexpected move back to Scotland and left him searching for work.
Not content to sit around waiting for his next job, Eastie ended up working in the building trade and admits it was one of the best moves he’s ever made.
“I was in England for 12 years and I didn’t even think of coming back up to Scotland to be honest,” he said.
“But in football you can’t plan what’s going to happen, especially as a player and then, when I was coaching, I found things could change as well.
“I was with Torquay working with the U/19s and college kids. It was my first real job in coaching and their academy was doing well but the club got relegated to the Conference and couldn’t afford to run their academy.
“It’s a big outlay and, unfortunately, it folded and jobs went with it. I would have loved to have stayed, it was a great job and I had an excellent lifestyle.
“The job wasn’t there so I came back up the road and there wasn’t much happening. I applied for jobs and I got close to a couple.
“I ended up doing a bit of labouring and it was great, it was the best thing for me. I kept myself busy.
“I was taking down cabins, near St Andrews funnily enough, and then building. I’d never had any experience of it but enjoyed it. Every day was different and the guys were brilliant. A lot of good people – I still keep in touch.
“I always appreciated what I had as a footballer but sometimes you need to go out of it and get back in just to be reminded what you have.
“So getting out for a bit was good, it got my appetite back without me realising I’d lost it. And just doing something different, seeing another side of life, meant I learned a lot.”
His return to football came at Raith where an excellent record with the youths sparked interest from others.