Fit again Graham is waiting for a knock on Dorr
Graham Dorrans has declared himself ready to return nearly nine months after his last competitive game.
The former Rangers and Scotland striker is on the lookout for a club to help restart his playing career.
If coaching is involved, the midfielder would regard that as a bonus and useful to his future career prospects.
But it’s not a dealbreaker and Dorrans is seeking a short- term arrangement to return to what he has missed most – playing football.
Dorrans, 35, took a break after parting ways with Dunfermline in early September.
His final appearance was a defeat to Queen’s Park in the play-offs as Pars dropped to League One on May 7.
Dorrans rol led his ankle in pre-season and missed four weeks at the outset of this campaign before agreeing to sever ties with the club.
The ex-West Brom man contemplated quitting and explained: “When I left Dunfermline I was just enjoying being with my kids, I took a bit of time off.
“It was a consideration if I wanted to keep going. It wasn’t, ‘Can I do it?’ It was, ‘Do I want to keep doing it?’
“For the first six weeks or so, I put that to the back of my mind and had family time.
“But I started to miss playing football more and more. In fact, I probably have done for the last few months.
“The desire, the fire is there. I want get back out there doing what I’d been doing for the previous 17 years. To wake up, go to training, be back in that environment.
“The family are fully behind that. I’ve been to a couple of games and watched them thinking, ‘I should still be playing, I wish I was playing.’”
Capped 12 times, the ex-Livingston product returned to Scotland with Rangers in 2017 after nine years south of the border.
A £ 1.3million move from Norwich was a dream come true for the boyhood Gers fan.
Despite his best efforts, Pedro Caixinha’s team flopped and he suffered a bad ankle injury against Kilmarnock in the Portuguese’s last game in charge.
He played just three times for Steven Gerrard the following campaign before a knee issue effectively ended his Rangers career.
He was injury-free at Dundee then for Australian side Western Sydney Wanderers before returning to Scotland with Dunfermline.
Dorrans said: “You’re never football fit until you get a few sessions and games.
“But in terms of general fitness, I’ve no concerns of that. I don’t think it would take me long to get up and running.
“Coaching is something I hope to get into, whether that’s in the near future or down the line.
“I’m 35 so if I do keep playing then it’s not about the money. I just want to enjoy my football for six or 18 months or whatever I’ve got left.
“It would be full-time. I’m willing to sit down to have a conversation about things.”