GARY’S PAY & PLAY DEAL
Veteran Harkins is ahead of what he fears is stampede of players looking for work – and new role came with offer to lace up boots again
It’s seven-something in the morning and ‘Gary Harkins Newest’ is flashing on the mobile.
It’s not quite the crack of dawn but still an unearthly hour to be discussing the nuts and bolts of Big Jeebsy’s latest career choice and a shock to the system.
The alarm call had to be carefully scheduled with a guy who’s all business these days as he combines his new title as a finance manager with a return to the game with Gartcairn Juniors. Just weeks after announcing his retirement, one of Scottish football’s most enduring talents has been coaxed to get his box of tricks back out for at least another season in the seventh tier of the pyramid.
Few footballers have had as much in their toolkit.
The offer to sign for the ambitious Lanarkshire side came with the employment oppor tunity with Glasgow firm AMP Procurement – and in these uncertain times it was grabbed with both hands by Harkins.
But what about the early rises Jeebsy? He said: “It’s a myth to think footballers don’t put in the hours. I used to get up earlier when I played for Dundee. This job is from 8am until 4pm, I was on the road longer when I used to drive each day from Greenock and back to Tayside. “Hard work never frightened me. Some boys I’ve shared a dressing-room with and a few former managers will laugh at that but I’m enjoying the freedom my new career is giving me.
“It’s the best of both worlds. There’s a comfort in doing something I enjoy and although I’m working my way through a six- month probation, it offers some security.”
“I’m a quick learner and the job combines a bit of everything. It’s a refreshing change, I’m now in control of my own destiny and I’m embracing the challenges that come with it.” Being ahead of the game could well provide a last laugh for a player who was unfairly tagged as one who shied away from the industrial side of the team ethic.
The 35-year-old believes the uncertain climate for players amid the Covid-19 pandemic has forced an unprecedented number to search for new employment. He said: “I’ve been getting told throughout my career that it could all end tomorrow.
“The majority of players think tomorrow will never come but since I was a 12- year- old kid training with Celtic, I’ve had it drilled into me that few players earn enough money to go on a permanent holiday when they retire.
“Professional footballers know from an early age what bracket they fall into, most are paid a working man’s wage.
“I’ve always known that I would have to do something outside the game and the opportunity to combine a day job with playing is ideal. I’m looking forward to enjoying football again without the same pressure.
“What’s happened in recent months with the pandemic has changed everything. There is panic across football and for many players it’s time to rethink what the future holds.
“Boys who are operating at Championship level and below are most at risk with a 27-game season about to start. It’s a wake-up call for them to look ahead and consider all options.
“When I was full-time I gained my B-licence coaching badge but you only need to look around the game just now to see there are few coaching jobs and so many trying to get one. In its own way it is a bit of a rat race.”
The former Dundee, Partick Thistle and Kilmarnock star links up at MTC Park with boss and former Jags team-mate Willie Kinniburgh as the club aim to make a mark in the newly formed West of Scotland Conference B set-up.
Harkins isn’t the only big-name recruit with one-time Scotland cap Steven Saunders also a recent signing. He believes it’s another sign of an impending Scottish football recession.
He said: “Steven is the perfect example of a player who could have held on for a contract with a club in the higher reaches of the SPFL.
“But nothing is certain at the moment. Nobody knows if the new season will definitely start and if it does, can we be certain it will finish?
“There are so many uncertainties within the game and boys now need to look outside football for work as there will be a stampede shortly.
“I was lucky enough to enjoy a long career and I appreciate every moment – but I wouldn’t want to be looking for a club in the current climate.”
With Blackburn, Grimsby, Partick, Killie, St Mirren, Oldham, Dundee and Stenhousemuir among his various ports of call, a red card in his final SPFL game with the Warriors wasn’t the way he wanted it to end.
Harkins announced his retirement on Twitter with a simple message: “Been a pleasure”.
That prompted a flood of well-wishers from the great and good of the football world offering him their best for the future.
Now he’s pulled the boots back on, he’s decided to make it a family affair at Gartcairn.
He said: “My brother Paul has also signed for the club and I’m delighted to finally get the chance to play alongside him. Believe it or not, he’s always been the better player.
“Gartcairn are a great club with ambitious people running it. Clubs at this level are bringing in boys who’ve operated in higher leagues. It’s a sign of the times and the new normal.
“Everyone has to adapt to the way things are and football isn’t immune to what’s going on.
“A t least nobody can accuse me of not putting a
shift in.”