Sam Stanton quit Dundee United to pursue his American dream.
However, the Covid outbreak was a rude awakening.
As the pandemic took hold, Stanton found himself isolated in Arizona.
Phoenix Rising’s domestic campaign was a welcome distraction, albeit the United Soccer League grand final — for which they qualified — was cancelled to quell the spread of the virus.
Now back in Scotland after joining Raith Rovers, the Edinburgh-born playmaker is circumspect.
Given what others endured, he is not one to wallow.
He accentuates the positives of experiencing a different style of football during 2020, seeing a distant land and making new friends.
Nevertheless, it was a period which did not pan out as Stanton intended.
“I knew it was my one opportunity to play in America,” said Stanton.
“But Covid hit soon after I moved over there in January [2020] and ruined that.
“The time difference made it difficult to stay connected with friends and family, and being locked down — with everything closed — meant it was a lot harder to adjust.
“There were a couple of English lads and other people in similar situations, so you make the best of the situation. I wasn’t the only person going through it.
“I still enjoyed my time over there but it didn’t go the way I had imagined.”
Irish eyes
Stanton swapped Arizona for the Emerald Isle in January 2021 when he joined Dundalk.
A sixth-placed finish was an underwhelming League of Ireland result but Stanton did play in a memorable Europa Conference League triumph against Levadia of Georgia.
They narrowly lost out to classy Eredivisie outfit Vitesse Arnhem in the next round.
“The European experience was really positive,” Stanton told Courier Sport. “Vitesse only beat us 4-3 on aggregate and we gave them a real scare.
“Vitesse are a quality side and went on to beat Tottenham [1-0], so testing yourself against players of that calibre is invaluable.
“The standard in Ireland, as you can see by the amount of players who go to Scotland and England, is competitive and I’ve benefitted from that.”
Repeating the Tangerine dream
While Stanton has racked up the air miles since 2020, he remains no stranger to the SPFL and, particularly, the competitive nature of a Championship title battle.
He turned out for Hibs in the second tier, albeit he was out on loan at Dumbarton during the capital club’s 2016/17 title-winning campaign — playing alongside current Rovers stars Lewis Vaughan and Tom Lang.
Stanton then spent two-and-a-half years with United as the Tannadice outfit fought to restore their top-flight status.
They finally achieved that feat in 2019/20 and, although Stanton departed in January, that silverware is a source of immense pride.
Sam Stanton’s beauty against Dunfermline In the Play offs. @sstanton_11 pic.twitter.com/n45W4WFMkP
— DUFCCulture (@DUFCCulture) January 21, 2020
“I’ve got a winners’ medal from that campaign,” continued Stanton. “I played most of the games in the first half of that season.
“That’s something I’m proud of and I loved being a part of it.
“I had a great time at Dundee United. I know the first couple of seasons didn’t go to plan, in terms of not managing to win promotion, but we eventually got there.
“There were tough moments but it was special to play a part in the club getting back to where it belongs.”
On whether he can help another side ascend to the top-flight, with Raith Rovers just one point off the Championship summit, Stanton added: “The boys have been on an incredible run and it’s an exciting time.
“The Premiership is where this club wants to go and we’ll do everything we can to get there.”
