Stewart Petrie will mark five years as Montrose manager this week – and Gable Endies ace Andrew Steeves believes the latter part of his reign has been the most impressive.
Since taking over from Paul Hegarty in December 2016, many players have come and gone, but the left back has been there every step of the way.
At 27, Steeves has been a mainstay in the squad and has enjoyed the successes – and experienced the occasional low – in the blue jersey during Petrie’s time.
Greatest feat
But aside from going from the bottom of League Two to winning the division in just two and a half seasons, the Montrose ace believes his gaffer’s greatest feat has been steering the club through the Covid pandemic.
“I think the last two years have been the most impressive,” he said.
“Getting Montrose out of League Two, winning the league with a record number of away wins and points and the amount of goals we scored. That’s impressive
“But the sustainability of it and the consistent success is the bit that’s most impressive to me.”
Clever recruitment
Some football clubs have struggled to adapt to the new world and its Covid restrictions while building on previous momentum.
But for Steeves, his gaffer has handled the situation flawlessly and has been very clever in his recruitment.
“You’ve witnessed a two or three year stretch that no manager will have ever experience of,” he explained.
“With Covid and the shortened season, then the season that stopped and started again, the fact he’s managed to continually keep success going through that is testament to him and to his staff and recruitment because he only brings in the right people.
“He doesn’t bring in people that don’t fit our identity and how we try and do things.
“In the last two years, the job that he’s done in part time football, maybe outside Dick Campbell, has been second to none.”
