Barry Russell says he’s just looking forward to enjoying his football again after joining amateur side EKYM.
The move comes just a month after he quit West of Scotland Third Division side East Kilbride Thistle, amid a tumultuous time at the Showpark which saw Garry O’Hanlon sacked as manager in September and 24 players leave the club, now managed by Aaron Connolly.
Former East Kilbride FC defender Russell is now looking forward to playing for a third local club in his career and putting any drama behind him to focus on getting games under his belt.
And he says YM won the race to sign him after a number of WOSFL sides showed an interest.
Russell told the News : “YM have been on my case to join ever since I went to EK Thistle in the summer so it’s good to be here because I’m looking for somewhere I can enjoy my football again.
“It didn’t go too well at EK Thistle and the less said about my time there, the better.
“Going by the amount of players that have left this season, it is obvious there is an issue there.
“For me, it wasn’t enjoyable and if you are not enjoying your football, you don’t want to be there.
“There are great people at EK Thistle but I don’t think the club is ready to go forward in the way they had planned at the start of the season.
“It definitely wasn’t anywhere near how I thought it was going to be or anywhere near how it was when I was last at the club under Mitch and Baggus [Colin Mitchell and Ian Penman], when the club was run 10 times better.
“The thing with Gaz getting the sack as well, there was just something not right about that, for me.
“But that’s just football sometimes.
“I had a few offers to go junior [West of Scotland League] again but I couldn’t really be bothered with all that to be honest. I just want to play football and be close to home.
“I moved to EK Thistle to stay local so going to YM now is a no-brainer.”
YM are currently top of the Caledonian League with Graeme Robertson’s side pushing for the title, so Russell arrives to help add some experience to the squad.
During his career, the 33-year-old has featured in the SPFL for Albion Rovers and Stranraer which were followed by his successful trophy-winning stint at EKFC and then in the WOSFL with St Roch’s.
Russell, who is set to make his debut this weekend when YM travel to Glasgow University, added: “It’s not a case of me just turning up and going straight into the team.
“I know I’m going to have to work hard. There are good players here and the team is going for the title.
“But G [Robertson] said they wanted someone to come in with experience so hopefully I can go in, get games under my belt and help the boys.
“The setup they have is absolutely brilliant, especially the park [at Kirktonholme] which blows some of the Junior teams out of the water."
• Meanwhile, YM’s Caley team put in the performance of the season last Saturday when they defeated Glasgow Harp, 7-1. A hat-trick from Ross McDonagh, two from Kyle Rankin, one each from Craig Tocher and Cammy McCulloch earned the win.
The GGPL also won when they beat Westerlands 3-2. Bruce King, James Murray and Callan O’Rawe all netted.
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