Bobby Barr has played almost 500 professional games but faces the biggest 180 minutes of his career as Brechin City fight for SPFL survival.
Barr, who has played for nine clubs during a 14-year career, will star for Brechin in the pyramid play-off final games with Kelty Hearts on Tuesday and Sunday.
The Angus club are desperately try to avoid dropping out of the SPFL, 98 years after first being admitted to play senior league football in 1923.
“The players will be devastated if we go down but I also think about what this means to people like our kitman Grievsie.”
Victory over Kelty would secure Barr’s future at City and give Michael Paton’s club a lifeline to rebuild the club next term.
Defeat, however, is unthinkable.
Brechin, famous for the Glebe Park hedge, has been the cornerstone of the community since 1906 with people like club kitman Alan Grieve dedicating almost five decades of their life to the cause.
“It’s my third spell at Brechin and I love the club,” said Barr who makes his 476th senior appearance at New Central Park on Tuesday.
“But these games aren’t just about what they mean to us as players or the manager.
“However, these games are about the fans who have followed the club through thick and thin and the people behind the scenes who have dedicated their life to Brechin.
“Brechin isn’t a massive club. It doesn’t have tens of thousands of supporters but because of that you really get to know the fans.
“The players will be devastated if we go down but I also think about what this means to people like our kitman Grievsie.
“He has been at the club for around 50 years. He has given everything to Brechin and this is for people like him.”
City finished bottom of League Two for the second successive season, after controversially avoiding a pyramid play-off last term when the leagues were curtailed prematurely due to Covid-19.
They face a Barry Ferguson-led Kelty side that is determined to clinch promotion from the Lowland League and cement their status as an SPFL team.
Ambitious Kelty have a squad full of seasoned professionals such as free-scoring Nathan Austin, ex-Kilmarnock star Kallum Higginbotham, Jamie Stevenson and former Brechin defender Dougie Hill.
They dismantled Brora with a 6-1 win in the pyramid play-off semi final and are considered by many to be favourites to win this tie as they prepare to host Brechin in front of 250 fans.
“Kelty have some great players,” added Barr. “They have a lot of experience and it’s going to be a massive task.
“We haven’t been good enough over the course of 22 games and deserve to finish bottom but this is a lifeline for us.
“We have 180 minutes of football to win to stay in the league and we are determined to succeed.
“I want to do it for the manager.
“I have the upmost respect for him. We played together at Dumbarton and I worked with him on the railways.
“I’m actually older than the gaffer by a few months. He’s only 32 but he’s ambitious and driven.
“He has taken on one of the hardest managerial jobs in football but is very professional in everything he does.
“I hope we can turn this around over the next few games to allow him to rebuild the club next year.”