It’s been three years since he missed a league game – but Peterhead captain Scott Brown admits he feels fortunate to still be at the club after a difficult first season.
The midfielder is now in his fifth season with the Blue Toon and has become a mainstay of Jim McInally’s side.
Skipper Brown has a remarkable record of having not missed a league game since March 2018.
However, the 26-year-old’s first season with the Buchan outfit, after joining in August 2016, was a difficult one with the club relegated to League Two.
Since then things have improved for the Balmoor side, who regained promotion to League One in 2019 with Brown playing an integral part.
However, he admits he was fearful of being let go after his first campaign with Peterhead.
Brown said: “I’ve always had a good relationship with the manager, but when you get relegated nobody’s place is safe and the thought did cross my mind.
“I never took that for granted because anybody could have been moved on that summer after the relegation.
“I count myself lucky that the gaffer wanted to keep me. Personally I didn’t feel like I played particularly badly that season but the team didn’t do well.
“It’s difficult when the team isn’t doing well and anything could have happened that summer, but we recruited well and went close to getting promoted again the next season.
“Then we managed to do it the following season (2018-19) and get back up and put the club back where it should be in League One.
“But when you get relegated it wasn’t a happy camp and there was no pleasure that season.
“You want to get out and play but you don’t want to be part of a side that gets relegated, but thankfully we managed to bounce back after that.”
Brown has played in 100 of Peterhead’s last 102 games – missing just two cup ties since March 2018.
He believes the competition within the Blue Toon squad during that period has brought the best out of him.
Brown added: “It does please me, I had a pretty bad hamstring the season before (2017-18) and that was stop-start.
“But since then I haven’t missed a league game since so that’s really pleasing from a personal point of view.
“When I’ve had tough competition for place during that time with Simon Ferry, Jack Leitch, Gary Fraser, Andrew McCarthy, Willie Gibson over that time it’s been pleasing.
“I’m captain now, but I don’t take my place for granted by any means.
“Whether you’re captain or not you need to keep your standards up and ensure they don’t slip and I feel I’ve done that.
“It’s interesting to know I’ve had such a good run of not missing games and I’ve been really lucky with avoiding injuries and suspensions because it’s easy to pick up injuries or suspensions.
“I do think I’m fitter than I have been before in my career and that’s a credit to Stuart Hogg (fitness coach), Davie (Nicholls, assistant manager) and the gaffer for keeping on at me.
“It’s good to turn up on a Tuesday and a Thursday and train hard and it’s a credit to all these people that I’ve been able to play regularly.
“I’ve been challenged, with the players we have at the club you know you have to be on your toes.”
