Peterhead midfielder Andy McCarthy is the latest player to face The Press and Journal’s Starting XI Q&A feature.
The 26-year-old, who came through the ranks at Partick Thistle, marked his first start for the Blue Toon since recovering from a punctured lung and broken ribs with a goal in his side’s Scottish Cup win against Lochee United last weekend.
McCarthy, whose side return to League Two duty today when they welcome The Spartans to Balmoor Stadium, took time out from his preparations to tackle our questions.
What do you remember about your senior debut?
My first competitive game was as a substitute for Partick Thistle in a Scottish Cup tie against Formartine United in January 2017. We won 4-0 and I came off the bench in the last 15 minutes.
But I always regard my first start as my proper senior debut and it came three months later at Celtic Park.
Brendan Rodgers’ side were going for the championship then but we held them to a 1-1 draw and I played for 73 minutes.
I played well and as an 18-year-old it felt like a big achievement.
What is your career highlight so far?
Getting back to full fitness and back to playing my best with Peterhead.
I had a spell where I didn’t play for six months under Jim McInally so to be able to get back to playing at the level I felt I was capable of thanks to the help of the Peterhead coaching staff is something I was proud of.
Who is the best player you played with?
There’s a few lads. Jack Hendry and Liam Lindsay, due to the careers they have had, stand out but I’ll go for someone not many will remember in Adam Barton.
He was a long-haired big centre-half at Thistle and was a really cultured player. He was such a good player who I loved playing with.
And who is your toughest opponent?
Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham were really tough. Brown was such a good player but Ntcham was a really strong all-round midfielder alongside him during his time at Celtic and facing both of them was a really hard shift.
Dressing room threads – who has the worst fashion sense in the dressing room?
Caleb Goldie. He wears all the big brands but none of it matches and he looks horrendous.
Robert Ward deserves a mention due to his Christmas night out gear last year. He ended up coming back down in the Peterhead polo shirt as we forced him to change.
Poor Wardy gets a hard time of it most of the time but so should Caleb.
How would your team-mates describe you?
Full of life and up for a laugh, I’d hope.
Some boys might say I’m annoying but I’d like to think I get on well with everyone at Peterhead and have done for years.
There are boys there I speak to every day now and I’d like to think I’m viewed as a good person. I’ve changed a lot over the years and think of others more than myself.
What is the best advice you have been given?
Never too high, never too low is the one I go off the most.
I’ve been in the game long enough to know a defeat is not going to break you and a win doesn’t define you either.
Whatever happens on a Saturday you have to come back every Monday ready to start all over again.
What is your favourite away ground and why?
Tynecastle. It is so tight there and the atmosphere is always so good. I always felt it suited me playing there as the pitch is smaller.
What is your favourite goal scored by you or a team-mate?
Conor O’ Keefe’s goal from the halfway line against Kelty Hearts was a cracker but I can’t put it forward as he has shown me it so many times I can’t unsee it.
My favourite goal was the volley I scored against East Kilbride in the Scottish Cup in 2022 but my goal at the weekend wasn’t bad either to be fair.
If you were stranded on a desert island and had to bring one current or former team-mate for help, who would it be and why?
I’d probably bring big Jordan Armstrong. He’s full of life and he’d find a way for us to eat as he’s always well fed.
He has been one of my best mates for years and I know I’d be able to rely on him.
How do you relax away from football?
I don’t relax well away from football as I’m always doing something which relates to playing or working.
You don’t get that much time to relax during the season if you are a part-time player. I enjoy playing tennis, pool or going to the gym.
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