Frazer Wright may be preparing for the day he has to hang up his boots.
But there’s plenty of life as a player left in the old dog yet by the looks of it.
The St Johnstone centre-back has rolled back the years with his commanding performances at the heart of the Perth defence in recent weeks.
Earlier this week the 34-year-old completed his qualifications to be a personal trainer.
Now the studies can be put on the back-burner as he and his Saints team-mates seek to continue their unbeaten run.
“You’ve got to think about life after you’ve finished playing”, Wright said.
“I heard about the course through the players’ union, and I thought I would give it a go.
“You do it over two levels, and I started it two-and-half years ago. It would have been a lot quicker if I hadn’t been doing it one day a week.
“There’s been a fair bit of bookwork. The course takes in anatomy and nutrition and things like that. That took a bit of getting used to.
“There’s a lot more to it than you think. All the muscles are broken down into different groups. When I got a hamstring strain I just thought it was a hamstring strain. Now I’m being told there are three parts to the hamstring.
“Big David McCracken was doing it and there have been a lot of younger boys as well. John McGinn at St Mirren is one of them. It’s part of their apprenticeship. So there are boys at both end of their careers.
“I’ll maybe look at doing my B licence as well, so I could maybe link it with the football.
“It’s another string to the bow, when the time comes.”
Wright’s mobility in the first few weeks of the season was a cause for concern, and maybe bringing thoughts of retirement further forward in his mind.
However, an injection to his hip has brought about a revival in form.
“If I’d know there was this injection I’d have taken it years ago,” he admitted.
“My movement is much better and I’m able to run properly again.”
It’s probably no coincidence that Wright looking like his old self again has been replicated by an upturn for the team as a whole.
Wright observed: “Saturday’s win a St Mirren was the sort of performance we’ve produced a lot over the years grinding out a 1-0.
“We’ve had a few games like that at St Mirren over the years. I can remember us hanging on for a 0-0 there when we were down to nine men.
“Defenders like to be involved in a game and we definitely were on Saturday. It would be nice to coast it 3-0, but we’ll take a 1-0 like that every week.”
A win for Saints against Wright’s old team this afternoon, and a draw or a defeat for Dundee at Hamilton, will take Saints back into the top half of the table.
And that’s where the McDiarmid men believe they belong.
“We want to get back into the top six,” Wright pointed out.
“Since I came to the club we’ve been there every season, and qualified for Europe.
“This game gives us the chance to maybe be back there after the weekend.”
According to Wright the value of Michael O’Halloran’s goal-spree cannot be under stated.
“It makes a difference to have someone scoring the goals,” he said.
“Stevie May did it last year and Michael’s doing it just now. It takes the pressure off and spreads confidence throughout the team.
“That’s definitely the case with the run we’re on just now.”