Most Highland players just wanted a bevvy .. it was dead loss

Derek Young wants to carve out a career in coaching – after falling out of love with playing the game in the Highland League.

The former Aberdeen and Dunfermline midfielder signed for Formartine United in 2016 but it would be his last season in senior football.

At 36, he admits that injuries, as well as a lack of quality and commitment at that level, forced him to retire after a successful career. Young, now an academy coach at Pittodrie, said: “I haven’t kicked a ball in a couple of years.

“When I left Formartine to coach at Aberdeen, that was me done. To be honest, playing Highland League was a bit of a dead loss for me.

“I started picking up stupid wee injuries.

“Getting a knock would keep me out for three or four weeks.

“Eventually, I thought: ‘What am I doing here?’ Folk ask me what the standard was like.

“If I was fit I could have done it standing on my head.

“But when balls are being smashed about left, right and centre, it’s tough.

“A lot of guys in the league think they’re players.

“But most of the boys I know are just in it for the bevvy afterwards.

“They’ve travelled two-anda-half hours on a bus to a game, had 90 minutes of dross – but are buzzing because there’s a stop-off on the way home.

“Now I like a night out more than anyone – but it just wasn’t for me.

“Some boys would just shell it the way they were facing, which wasn’t ideal for a midfielder.

“I spoke to a few people about it and I think I was just clinging on for the sake of it.

“I wasn’t enjoying it and when a job came up I called it quits.”