Martin Maclean admits his life could have been totally different if he hadn’t ended up joining Brora Rangers.
The midfielder, who hails from the Isle of Lewis, will bring his 12-year career with the Cattachs to an end by playing in Saturday’s friendly (6pm kick-off) against a Lewis and Harris Select at Goathill in Stornoway.
During his time at Dudgeon Park, Maclean has helped Brora win four Breedon Highland League titles, six North of Scotland Cups and three GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cups.
The 32-year-old was spotted while playing for his local team, Back, on Lewis and revealed joining Brora led to him making the move to Inverness and finding employment on the mainland.
Making mainland move
Reflecting on first signing for Brora, Maclean said: “I was playing for Back, we were in a cup final which I think we won 4-1 and I ended up scoring a couple of goals.
“I didn’t know at the time but Ben Mackay, Brora’s main sponsor, was over on the island fishing and had popped up to the game.
“A week later I got a phone call from someone in Stornoway who had connections to the mainland and he told me that Brora wanted me to go over for a trial game.
“I came over and we played Stirling Albion and after being on trial they wanted me to come over regularly.
“For the first year and a half I just came over at weekends before I moved over permanently.
“I still had a year and a half left of apprenticeship as an electrician and that was why I didn’t move over right away because I wanted to finish that.
“At that time I didn’t have any ties or responsibilities so coming over to Inverness for the weekend was fine for me.
“The club sorted all my travel and accommodation for me which was good.
“But I don’t know if I’d be in the job I’m in or living in Inverness if I hadn’t come over to play for Brora to begin with.”
Fitting place to finish
Maclean is looking forward to pulling down the curtain on his playing career in front of his family.
He added: “Everything’s worked out in terms of timings, I’m off on paternity leave and we’re over on Lewis this week anyway.
“I’d have gone to watch the game so if I’m there anyway I thought I’d be as well pull the boots on one last time.
“It will be good to see the boys again and see how they’re getting on in pre-season.
“My wife Esther and our two boys will be at the game along with my parents and some of my family so it will be nice to play and finish off with this game.”
Maclean has decided to hang up his boots due to family commitments with wife Esther recently giving birth to their second child.
He said: “We don’t really have any family in Inverness because we’re both from Lewis so our families are there.
“So if I kept going and was playing football every Saturday for the best part of a year, plus being at training a couple of nights a week, it would be a lot for my wife to cope with.
“Our eldest son Thomas is three now and he’s at the stage where he’s got football and swimming and things on a Saturday.
“I want to be involved with that. It’s a big commitment if you’re playing, but it’s a big commitment for your family because they have to deal with everything else.”
Highlights from a memorable 12 years
Maclean admits he could never have expected to enjoy such success in a Brora shirt when he first joined in 2012.
He said: “I couldn’t have expected to achieve what we did when I first joined Brora.
“I came over not knowing much about the club or the Highland League, I gave it a go because I wanted to try to progress in football.
“It ended up with me moving over to Inverness, getting employment here and me and my wife setting up home in Inverness.
“With everything we achieved I couldn’t have asked for any more with league wins, cup wins and great memories in the Scottish Cup.”
When it comes to the Scottish Cup, Maclean scored what is surely the most famous goal in Brora’s history.
He netted the winner in March 2021 as the Cattachs defeated Hearts 2-1 at Dudgeon Park in one of the biggest shocks in the competition’s history.
Maclean said: “To have that result in the history books for the club and personally to have scored the winning goal is something I look back on very fondly.
“It was a strange time during Covid with no fans and we didn’t really have a chance to celebrate.
“But if you’ve said when I signed for Brora we’d knock out Hearts after they’d been in the final the season before I’d have said ‘that will never happen.’
“It’s a good story to be able to tell anyway.”