Graham Bayne has decided to hang up his football boots to pursue his burning ambition to become a firefighter.
The Dundee striker has been plagued by injury in recent years, and at one point it looked as if he had would have to call time on his career when he was out for 15 months with a foot problem.
However, he battled back to full fitness and played as a trialist last season for the Dark Blues before rejoining Dunfermline for their First Division promotion push.
The Pars let him go at the end of last season and Dens Park boss Barry Smith signed him for his second full stint at the club where he began his senior career.
This season has again been blighted by injury and when the chance to apply for Tayside Fire and Rescue arose, Bayne went for it, with Smith’s approval.
He said: ”The thought of joining the fire service was one that always excited me even when I was at school. I was really fortunate to have a football career but every player knows the day is going to come when you have to hang up your boots and then it is a case of what to do next.
”I was out of the game for nearly 15 months with my foot injury but there were a lot of cutbacks in the fire service during that time and no recruitment drives.
”I was absolutely delighted when I signed for Dundee again I couldn’t have been happier to be back at the club which gave me a platform to launch my career.
”However, I picked up a couple of annoying injuries that set me back a bit and I didn’t play as much as I would have liked.
”I kept my finger on the pulse regarding the fire service and an opportunity arose when they started recruiting again. I spoke to the manager and he was fully supportive.
”He was really positive but, to be honest, I wouldn’t have expected anything else. He is a brilliant man manager and I have often talked to him about football and matters outwith the game.”
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Bayne admitted he agonised long and hard about giving up football but had to put his family and two young children first.
He said: ”It is a big wrench leaving football but I just felt the timing was right. I have a young family to consider and my long-term injury also played a major part in making my mind up.
”In football, everything can change in a split-second and it was always at the back of my mind that an injury could not just wreck my football career, it might limit the type of physical job I could do when I left the game.
”So it was a difficult decision but the time is right to give up football.”
Bayne admitted he would like nothing better than to say goodbye to the Dundee fans by playing his part on the pitch in the club’s final game of the season on Saturday at Dens against Livingston. However, he accepts that with boss Smith already having one eye on next season, he may be denied that chance.
He added: ”It would be great to finish up on the pitch against Livingston on Saturday to say farewell to the fans, who have been brilliant to me throughout my time at Dundee. But I have been in the game long enough though to know that the manager is already starting to build for next season and there is no room for sentiment in football.
”However, I will have a lot of great memories to treasure. I may not have won any medals but there were loads of highlights along the way. I really enjoyed my time at Dundee and Dunfermline and also my four years at Inverness when we proved the doubters wrong by staying in the SPL.
”There are also personal memories like scoring at Ibrox and a Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden. However, I think what I’ll remember most is the people in the game from players I have shared a dressing-room with to some of the unsung backroom staff at every club I’ve been at.
”It’s sad to be leaving the sport I love but I am really excited about the challenge ahead.”