Former Tangerines favourite hints at new career as future firefighter

Scotland striker Johnny Russell has revealed he could become a fireman after he hangs up his boots.

The Sporting Kansas City talisman, who recently extended his contract with the MLS outfit, has dismissed the notion of going into management when he retires, albeit he expects to remain connected to the game.

And he is considering a different career path, confessing that the collaborative nature of life in the fire service, allied with the opportunity to aid people, appeals to him more than a stint in the dugout.

The 30-year-old said: “I don’t think coaching is for me.

“I’ll always be involved (in football) in some way and if my daughter or my son wants to take it up, I’ll

be there for them the whole way through.

“But professionally, I don’t think it would be the same for me to get back in the game coaching.

“I’ve always been interested in being a fireman.

“I‘ve never worked on my own, I’ve always been on a team and I know a couple of guys back home.

“I’ve spoken to a few guys here, too, and I just feel like that’s the closest thing to being on a team.

“O b v i o u s l y, you’re helping people, which is something that I’ve always wanted to do.”

Russell, speaking to The Pitch, also lifted the lid on his passion for US muscle cars.

The former Dundee United and Derby County star drives a Chevy Camaro Hot Wheels Edition in Kansas, having also purchased one of the first Mustangs to be released in the UK.

He added: “I’ve got my Camaro here. That’s one of the first things I did – go out and get some American muscle!

“I have a Mustang in the UK, too. I think it was 2017, they brought out the first UK Mustang, so I got that.”

Johnny Russell.