Callan Gray has revealed a desire to win silverware has led to him signing for Fraserburgh.
The 22-year-old, who was Turriff United’s captain, has joined the Broch from Turra on a deal until the summer of 2028.
Although success can never be guaranteed, midfielder Gray is hoping he can help his new club to glory.
Explaining his reasons for joining Fraserburgh, he said: “When you think about the Highland League, I think Fraserburgh are one of the first clubs you think about.
“You look at the trophies they’ve won – the squad they’ve got have accumulated a lot of medals, which is very impressive.
“You can never guarantee success in the future, but I think Fraserburgh is the best place for me to try to have success.
“The club has been in a lot of finals and I’ve never played in a final, so that’s something I’d like to do.
“I want to win things, and if you look at Fraserburgh’s record in the last 10 years, hopefully we’ll have the chance to do that.
“Being part of a group that knows how to win big games and how to win trophies is something I’m looking forward to.
“I’m excited to have joined Fraserburgh, there will be a bit of pressure on me to do well, but I enjoy that aspect of it.”
Broch connection
Gray has connections to the Fraserburgh area, having been raised in the nearby village of Crimond, and he revealed his local links were a factor in his decision to sign for the Bellslea outfit.
He added: “My family is from Crimond and I grew up there. I wouldn’t class myself as a Brocher, because I didn’t go to Fraserburgh Academy – I attended the performance school at Hazlehead.
“But my family’s from the area, my girlfriend Sophie Kuberek is a Brocher and her granda is a die-hard fan of the club, so those things came into consideration as well.
“When you’ve got those connections to the area, it does have an impact. I had a lot of things to consider, but overall the Broch just stood out for me.”
Reflections on Turra tenure
Gray signed for Turriff in September 2020 and has made a significant impact in the Breedon Highland League during his time at the Haughs.
He was made United captain last summer and admitted it was a difficult decision to move elsewhere.
Gray said: “I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Turriff from the players and management team, to the committee, to the fans. It’s a really good club.
“There are folk in that team who I’ll be mates with for the rest of my life.
“Kris Hunter signed me, but that was during Covid and I only worked with him for a short time, and it was mainly Dean Donaldson and Warren Cummings that I played under.
“Dean really helped me develop – he pushed me to become a proper Highland League player – then Warren came in and massively helped me as well.
“He also made me captain, which was an honour.
“I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Turriff, but for me on a personal level it felt like the right time to move on.
“It was really difficult to decide to leave, but I tried to do it in the best way possible. I was open and honest with everyone and I’ve left on good terms.”
As well as signing Gray, Fraserburgh have also secured midfielders Flynn McKay, 17, and Stuart Laird, 18, and 18-year-old defender Jake Garden on contract extensions until the summer of 2028.
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