Inverurie Locos legend Ryan Broadhurst has decided to retire because of work commitments.
After 14 seasons, 360 appearances, 19 goals and success in the GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup (2008-09) and the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield (2013-14 and 2016-17) the defender will hang up his boots at the end of the current campaign.
The 35-year-old helicopter pilot said: “I’ve been thinking about it for some time, for the last 13 years I’ve done my best to juggle my passions in life.
“If I’m not in a helicopter then I’m most likely on my way to training or a game.
“I’ve done it for so long because I love both of them. The difficulty now is that I’ve reached a point where I can’t be at every game or every training session because of flying.
“Flying takes me to the south of France a lot for simulator training and I can no longer commit the time I feel is required to help Inverurie challenge for trophies.
“The club has been incredible, they offered me a new contract and fantastic flexibility but it was me that declined.
“It’s not been an easy decision and I’ve had to make it with head rather than my heart.”
‘The plan was two years’
It was his job that took Broadhurst to the north-east and he didn’t initially plan to still be here all these years later.
He added: “My plan was to come to Aberdeen and get two years of experience. There’s no place in the world where flying helicopters is as intense as the North Sea.
“But the plan was to only be here for two years. I contacted Locos to train to keep fit and then I saw the set-up and the standard and Dave Cormie offered me a contract and that was it.
“Even then it was still a two-year plan but I fell in love with Scotland and the north-east and I fell in love with Locos.”
When Broadhurst joined Inverurie from Stourbridge he was a striker, but after a couple of seasons he was converted to become a centre-back.
The Englishman explained: “When I saw the quality of the strikers we had such as Kenny Coull, Neil Gauld and Danny Milne and in my head I thought ‘I’m only going to get 20 minutes at best.’
“After a couple of years when I’d been on the bench mainly Steven Park said ‘do you want to play centre-half for the Under-21s on Monday?’
“All I wanted to do was get on the pitch and play so I did that with the U21s and then Scott Buchan started me at centre-half and I’ve been there ever since.”
Two legends bow out
Broadhurst’s final home league game is against Wick Academy tomorrow.
Club captain Neil McLean will also make his final competitive appearance at Harlaw Park.
Broadhurst said: “Neil is someone I consider to be a very close friend and to be sharing the stage with him is special.
“In my opinion Neil is the best player I’ve come across in the Highland League and it will be an emotional day.
“But once the whistle goes it will be business as usual and after the game everyone at the club will be Neil Gauld’s testimonial dinner which will be a very special occasion.”
