Former St. Johnstone player Nathan Lowndes has lifted the lid on his decision to swap his football strip for a police uniform.
Lowndes, 38, signed for St Johnstone in 1998 and became a firm fans’ favourite on their run to third place in the league and the League Cup Final in his first season at the Perth side.
He later moved to various English sides – but returned to Scotland to set up home in Perthshire upon his retirement from football.
With Police Scotland currently recruiting new officers, Lowndes has revealed why some fun facts from his football career and why the force was a good match for him once he hung up his boots.
Where are you based?
I work in Perth and have five years of service.
Which football teams did you play for?
Striker for Leeds, Watford, St Johnstone, Livingston, Plymouth, Port Vale and Chester City.
What’s your football career highlight?
I managed to win league titles with Watford and Plymouth in the old English Division 2 now called League 1 divisions.
I also played in the League Cup final for St Johnstone and scored in the UEFA Cup. I also played against a certain World Cup winning goalkeeper Fabian Barthez for St Johnstone against Monaco
Why did you join the police?
I thought it would be a challenging yet rewarding career – which it has proved to be. There are a number of different of career options once you join the police, so like football, there are lots of different opportunities as you progress.
A random fact from your career?
I was the first player to score an away goal for St Johnstone in a European competition.