Former Deveronvale and Brora Rangers player-manager Kevin Bremner is now enjoying success on the small screen after being asked to front a national television advertising campaign for bookmaker Betfred.
Bremner, 57, is one of the two Betfred “Dudes”, who play keepy-uppy as they walk down a street.
Bremner played more than 450 games in England between 1980 to 92 – with Colchester United, Birmingham City, Millwall, Reading, Brighton and Peterborough before ending his career playing 24 times for Dundee. His elder brother, Des, won a European Cup winner’s medal with Aston Villa in 1982.
Kevin, a bustling centre forward originally from the Banffshire town of Aberchirder but now living in Gillingham, revealed a chance call opened the door to a whole new adventure.
The self-employed builder said: “The whole thing came about last summer when this girl who does Lions Live radio at one of my old clubs, Millwall, phoned me up. She’s now become my agent but that day she told me that when she asked Millwall if there were any former players who might be interested in becoming involved, she was told that they knew a guy who would be desperate to do this for her and that I was made for this role, so she phoned me.
“That was on the Thursday afternoon and she wanted me to go for an audition the following day. She told me that all I had to do was walk down the street and do a few keepy-upps.
“When I told her that probably wasn’t my forte, she said no problem, they’ll be able to edit it all anyway.”
Bremner faced stiff competition for one of the two starring roles. He added: “After the first of three auditions, one of the first lads I worked with was professional actor.
“But he was hopeless with a ball, so was ruled out immediately.
“But then in came former Millwall player Phil Walker. I really hit it off with him and the banter was brilliant.
“However, at the next audition, the following Wednesday, another seven people, making it 13 overall, arrived to show what they could do, one of them being former England defender Russell Osman, so I thought that was it, my chance was gone.
“But to cut a long story short, I was picked along with 61-year-old Mike Millen to play the Dudes in the role and I believe the adverts are going to be freshened up and updated over the next five years.
“I am getting used to being recognised all over again. The other day when I was putting petrol in my wife Helen’s car at the local filling station, a guy came up and asked me to settle a bet between him and his wife.
“Was I the guy in the leather jacket taking off the shades in the TV advert or not?
“I told him he had won the bet.
“I’ve also been recognised quite a few times at the supermarket. It’s crazy.”