Peter Pawlett is excited to be embarking on a new stage of his career after making the move to part-time football with Peterhead.
The former Aberdeen attacking midfielder has been out of the game since leaving Dundee United in the summer, but is set to make his return for the Blue Toon after signing an 18-month deal with the League Two side on Sunday.
Pawlett said: “It’s good to be back, I’ve missed it and I’m itching to get going again. I’m really looking forward to it actually.
“Jordon Brown was in touch straight away in the summer and we were in constant dialogue about how I was getting on.
“I’ve spoken to a few clubs, but I grew up in youth set-up (at Aberdeen) with Jordon and Ryan and they are good people. It just felt right.”
Pawlett has been playing the role of stay-at-home father since leaving Tannadice, and while he has cherished his family role, he is ready for a return to the football pitch with Jordon Brown and Ryan Strachan’s team.
He said: “At the minute my little boy is two years old and my wife works full-time so I’ve been looking after him. I’ve had some really good bonding time with him.
“You usually miss a lot as a full-time footballer so I’ve really enjoyed spending quality time with him.
“He goes to nursery in a couple of months so I’m trying to figure out what my plan is moving forward.”
Attacker needed time to adjust to part-time switch
Part-time football will be a new challenge for Pawlett, who turn 33 next month – but the attacker insists he is excited to be making a change.
Pawlett said: “It has taken a bit of times to come to terms with. I knew at some point in my career I’d switch to part-time football and it has come earlier than I anticipated.
“Getting your head round how much your whole life is changing has been the part which has taken a bit of time to get used to it.
“I think it will benefit my body. As I get older I will be able to choose what I do on a day-to-day basis on top of training twice a week.”
Pawlett signing continues family link with Blue Toon
Pawlett has been added to the Blue Toon squad for Tuesday’s league match against Dumbarton at Balmoor Stadium.
The 32-year-old will be following in his brother’s footsteps in representing the club.
He said: “I grew up in Banchory and Peterhead is a team I’ve been fond of.
“My brother played in the youth team, so I’m aware of the set-up behind the scenes.
“Chris played for the under-18s for a couple of years and I watched him play a couple of times.
“He enjoyed his time there and I’m sure there’s still people involved who were there previously.
“Hopefully I can bring a bit of success and repay the faith Jordon and Ryan have shown in me.”
Brown looking to regain the winning habit
Co-boss Brown hopes the arrival of Pawlett can help his side snap a disappointing run of three straight defeats.
He said: “Peter is at the stage where he is looking to transition to part-time and we can help each other.
“He wasn’t short of options and we’re delighted he has chosen to come to us. He’ll undoubtedly add quality once he gets himself up to speed in terms of match sharpness.
“He is in decent shape and we’ll carefully look after him.
“We wanted him before this game as it will be good have him in the squad and involved.
“We’ve gone from scoring goals and keeping clean sheets to the opposite in recent weeks. On Saturday, we missed some chances and then conceded a goal.
“You can only say it is a bad run for so long before it becomes a mindset, so we need to turn that around.”
Rory McAllister returns from suspension, while Conor O’Keefe and Jordan Armstrong will be assessed before the game. David Wilson is out due to concussion protocol.
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