Neil Gauld looks back with pride on his goal-laden Breedon Highland League career having decided to retire.
The 36-year-old striker, who has been with Turriff United this season, has hung up his boots having netted 363 goals at Highland League level.
Gauld first featured in the division for Inverurie Locos as a 16-year-old.
After a spell in the Juniors with Formartine United he went on to have a further three spells with Locos, a stint at Huntly, two years with Formartine in the Highland League before joining Banks o’ Dee last season and switching to Turriff this term.
With Inverurie Gauld won the GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup twice, the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield and SFA North Region Challenge Cup and claimed a further Highland League Cup medal with Dee.
Time to right to retire
Individually Gauld was the league’s top scorer in the 2018-19 season. He is Inverurie’s all-time record scorer with 286 strikes and netted what is thought to be the quickest hat-trick in Scottish Cup history, in five minutes and 50 seconds for Locos in 2011.
This season Gauld took some time out following the birth of his son, Nixon, on Boxing Day.
He also had a loan stint with Junior club Colony Park, but after discussions with Turra boss Warren Cummings, Gauld decided to retire.
He said: “Warren and myself spoke about it and we reached a mutual decision that I’d retire.
“I’m getting on a bit and I’ve got a son now, it just feels like it’s time to stop.
“I’ve got great memories, the Highland League has been very good to me and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.
“The cup wins were great moments. Individually the Scottish Cup hat-trick, scoring eight goals in a game for Formartine against Strathspey (in 2016) and being top scorer in the league one season really stand out.
“I’ve been lucky to play with a lot of very good players.
“I’ve got a good relationship with most people I came across and I don’t think I’ve had a cross word with hardly anybody.
“In that regard I’ve been very lucky with guys I’ve played with and managers I’ve played under.”
Record among the best
Gauld’s goal return puts him among the highest scorers in the 131-year history of the Highland League.
He added: “In my time there have been better players than me who haven’t scored as many goals.
“To score more goals at the level than Cammy Keith is something to be proud of because he’s known as an absolute legend for scoring goals.
😲😲😲
⏯ @leaguehighland legend @NGauldy scoring a goal-of-the-season contender for @banksodee_fc against @FraserburghFC on Saturday
Full highlights of the Bellslea clash – plus @BuckieThistle
v @RothesFC – on #HighlandLeagueWeekly :https://t.co/UfQE7Yu5Ng pic.twitter.com/vwpGP8Y9XF— Highland League Weekly (@HighlandLW) March 21, 2023
“I don’t know where I am in terms of all-time. But in terms of my generation of players I’ve scored the most, although I expect Scott Barbour will go past me.
“I’d have scored more if I hadn’t missed as many games with injury, but Scott is someone who hardly misses a game with injury so I think he’ll go past me.”
