Forres defender Grant calls it a day at 39

Forres Mechanics central defender Graeme Grant has decided to hang up his boots after a long and glittering career in north football.

The former Elgin City centre-back started his Highland League career at Buckie Thistle in 1997.

Mechanics manager Charlie Rowley has offered Grant a coaching role at Mosset Park, which he is considering but the 39-year-old insists his playing days are at an end.

He said: “The time has come for me to call it a day as it’s now taking me a lot longer to recover from a game.

“I was signed for Buckie Thistle by their manager at the time, Malcolm Murray, and remained at Victoria Park for four and a half seasons before

“In last 15 years he has written himself into club folklore”

moving to Elgin City for a year.

“Alan Scott signed me for Forres Mechanics in 2003 and I’ve been there more or less since, apart that is for a brief two months at Huntly when Dave Cormie was in charge at Christie Park.”

The Elgin-based roofer added: “The highlights of my long Highland League career were undoubtedly winning the league title with Forres in 2011-12 and facing Rangers in the Scottish Cup at Mosset Park the following season.”

Rowley paid a warm tribute to his stalwart defender, saying: “Graeme has had a remarkable career at Mosset Park and, over the last 15 years, he has written himself into club folklore.

“He will be best remembered at Forres for his long-standing centraldefensive partnership alongside Nathan Sharp, definitely one of the best I’ve seen in my time in the Highland League.”