The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Smith has scent of title
● New Formartine forward says he’ s gunning for glory
Jonny Smith believes Formartine United should be targeting the Highland League title. New United signing Smith put pen to paper on a three-year deal and hopes the club can finally make the next step to become league champions.
Smith had previously been pursued by Formartine boss Paul Lawson when he left Cove in 2018 but a deal was unable to be reached.
He subsequently signed for Inverurie Locos and had two injury-hit seasons at Harlaw Park.
There was still a year to run on his contract with Locos and they had approached him about extending that deal.
Smith, however, was intent on seeing out the remainder of his time with Inverurie and seeing what opportunities arose.
Formartine asked about the 31-year-old last week and the deal was announced yesterday.
A two-time Highland League title-winner with Cove, Smith reckons further silverware should be in Formartine’s sights.
He said: “The ambition is definitely the league title.
“I have been told for years that’s what they want to do and Paul Lawson told me the same.
“That’s great because it’s what I want to do as well.
“I’m coming towards the end of my career and I want to win as many things as I possibly can.
“They’re such a topquality team that everyone expects them to be up there.
“I don’t think they’re miles off it at all.
“They’ve signed some great players in Dan Park and Darryn Kelly that I know well and that shows they’re here not to finish in the top four and do quite well in the cups – they are winners and are there to win trophies.”
Smith was brought to Locos from Cove by his former Aberdeen youth coach Neil Cooper two years ago.
However a serious knee injury suffered in his third game in red and black kept him out for more than a year.
He returned under new manager Andy Low in the season just gone and insists he looks back on his time with the club fondly.
Smith added: “I’ve had a lot of nice messages from pretty much everyone: players, management and board members. It’s a really strange one as everyone seems disappointed that I’m leaving but in football you’ve got to get on with things.
“I wasn’t keen on signing a new contract; I got offered another couple of years and I didn’t want to go down that route just now. I wanted to see my time out.
“It’s not that I wasn’t happy. I just wasn’t really ready to commit my future to it. I left on really good terms with everyone at Locos and have got a lot of close friends there.
“It was a tough one for me personally but good for me football-wise.”
“Everyone expects them to be up there”