Reid goes from floor polishing to cleaning line-outs

GORDON REID was sanding floors two weeks ago and has now answered the call to play in Wasps front row.

The 34-year-old has 41 Scottish caps but said he was “as surprised as anyone” to get a call from Wasps and played 50 minutes in their Premiership Cup loss at Newcastle last week.

Formerly of London Irish and Glasgow Warriors, the loosehead had a surprisingly short stint at Northampton Saints of just three days before the Covid pandemic hit.

Reid told TRP: “I had literally just arrived at work and was sanding a floor when I got the phone from Wasps asking me to get down. I pretty much dropped everything.

“Rugby’s been my life for such a long time, you don’t want to give it up. You might not get the opportunity again.

“I’ve had many people say to me I’m a long time retired and some people on social media think it’s a joke I’m at Wasps, I don’t care.

“I was with Northampton for three days, then Covid hit and I would have been there until the

end of the season but the world works in mysterious ways.

“You never know what’ll happen, I was sanding floors in Scotland two weeks ago for my own business and playing for Marr in the second-row and then they brought me down.”

Since his brief spell at Saints, Reid has focused on his floor restoration business called Pro Finishing, having previously worked in the trade as a teenager.

But he’s still got rugby ambitions and coach Scott Barrow affirmed he’s “set a great example, being methodical to the younger lads”.

Reid added: “Last week was a big thing to play for my dad. He passed away a year ago and that’s the game I wanted to play for him. We didn’t get the win, that’s fine, but I wanted to play that game for him.

“I’m here because of my experience and they know I’ll put a shift in and have the ability even if I need to get my fitness up. I don’t know what will happen but I’m here at Wasps to have fun, and win.”