Iain Vigurs turned down full-time offers to be part of Cove Rangers’ ambitious challenge in League One.
Vigurs, alongside his ex-Caley Thistle and Ross County team-mate Ross Draper, penned three-year deals at the Balmoral Stadium.
Championship side Dunfermline Athletic tried to recruit Aberdonian Vigurs on the eve of him being announced at Cove. However his mind had been mind up that we as going to go part-time.
The midfield duo left County in the summer and become Cove’s fourth signings of the summer and are a significant statement of intent for the League One promotion hopefuls.
Vigurs said: “I hadn’t planned to go part-time as soon as this but after speaking to Ross County and everything that was happening, I had to weigh everything up. If I stay full-time, am I going to get the length of contract I want at my age? Am I going to get the money I want at my age?
“I was starting to realise pretty quickly what I wanted to do. That was to look at the next 20 years. I had opportunities to stay full-time – Dunfermline rang me yesterday to see if I wanted to stay full-time – but I’d made my mind up a couple of weeks ago what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go.
“The big thing for me was the length of contract and how much they wanted me. I would never have anything bad against Ross County – every club goes through a transitional period and that was theirs.”
The security for the future was a big factor for the 33-year-old, who had started planning for the a life beyond football before this move came about.
Vigurs added: “Speaking to the chairman Keith (Moorhouse) and the gaffer, it was kind of a no-brainer. The foundations they’ve got at the club is fantastic and they’re ambitious. They play a good standard and the gaffer wants to play the right way.
“I wanted to go part-time and look to the future for myself. I wanted to look at the next 20 years instead of the next two. All of that was in my thinking of coming to Cove and they are giving me that platform to do that. On the pitch they are giving us a good platform too.
“I’ve been thinking of getting into a certain sector of work for a while now. Cove have put me in the right direction to do that which is a big thing. On and off the park they have been fantastic for me.”
Vigurs believes the foundations are in place for success at Cove, having missed out on promotion from the play-offs last season.
He said: “They just missed out on promotion last year and we aim to go one better this year. That’s always the aim for any players, you want to win things. It’s a winning mentality and hopefully we can bring it here.”
Cove had seen midfielder Seb Ross depart for Falkirk earlier this week.