Banks o’ Dee’s new signing Iain Vigurs admits he was effectively retired but revealed old friends have tempted him to get back playing.
The former Elgin City, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County, Motherwell and Cove Rangers midfielder has signed a one-year contract with the Spain Park side.
During his career, Vigurs has won the Championship twice and the Challenge Cup twice with Ross County.
He also won the Challenge Cup with Caley Thistle and helped Cove to the League One title in 2022, having joined a year earlier.
However, the 36-year-old didn’t play at all last season.
Although he was under contract, he wasn’t involved for Cove and wasn’t fussed about going out on loan.
But when it came to this season, Dee co-manager Paul Lawson, a former County and Motherwell team-mate, and assistant manager Aggie Gray – a friend for more than 20 years – convinced Vigurs to ply his trade in the Breedon Highland League.
‘Everything has fitted well’
Vigurs, who is based in Inverness, said: “Banks o’ Dee is a well-run club, having been involved for a couple of training sessions and friendlies, I was able to see how good the set-up is.
“Another big bearing on me signing was because I know Paul really well.
“I know Aggie as well – we’ve been good mates since we were 15. We played together at Albion Boys’ Club for a year and we’ve been mates ever since.
“Aggie was the best man at my wedding and he’s been at me for the last few seasons to come to Banks o’ Dee.
“At Cove, I had a conversation with Paul Hartley last summer and he said they wanted to go down a more youthful route.
“I totally understood and I wasn’t really interested in going out on loan somewhere, so I didn’t play last season.
“If I’m honest, I didn’t missed playing, it was good to have a bit of a break.
“But when I spoke to Aggie and Paul and then came down for training and a couple of games, it peaked my interest again.
“Everything has fitted well. I was effectively retired because I didn’t play last season, and if I’d never kicked a ball again, it probably wouldn’t have bothered me.
“But this came up, and I thought: ‘Why not have one last go?’ And now I’m looking forward to it.”
Vigurs has previously briefly appeared in the Highland League.
In 2015, he played two games as a trialist for Inverurie Locos in between leaving Motherwell and rejoining Caley Thistle for a second spell.
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