Caleb Goldie has taken the transition from full-time football with Celtic’s youth academy to being part-time at Peterhead in his stride.
The defender – who will turn 19 on Saturday, the same day the Blue Toon travel to League Two basement side Clyde – signed for the Buchan club on a two-year deal following his release from Celtic in the summer.
This has been Goldie’s first season playing senior football and he says it has been a steep learning curve.
“It has been a big challenge coming from playing youth football at Celtic,” explained Goldie. “I was playing against 16 or 17-year-olds then – and now it’s boys in their 30s.
“There has been a big step up physically, but I feel like it has been a good challenge for me.
“It’s been good to challenge myself and to see where I am at. I’m a full-back and some of the best players in League Two are wingers, so it has been to play against them.”
Goldie has featured 24 times for Peterhead in all competitions so far this season, including 17 appearances in League Two – with 13 of those being starts.
Adapting to new routine off the pitch after leaving Celtic
He has had to learn to adapt away from the pitch, too, having been used to training during the day, five or six times a week at academy level.
Based in Glasgow, Goldie trains with his Peterhead team-mates from the same area once a week, with the whole squad then coming together in Dundee on a different evening.
The teenager also utilises one-to-one sessions during the week with Peterhead coach Jamie McNee and often helps out as a coach to youngsters.
“What has been one of the hardest parts is being used to training full-time,” said Goldie. “I have been trying to maintain my fitness away from training with the team.
“We’re only training together as a whole squad once a week and I think it can be hard to keep up that fitness.
“I have one-to-one sessions Monday, Tuesday and Friday to keep it up with.
“It might sound stupid, but it is even things like the sleep pattern and routine – I’m so used to having to get up early to be in training for 9am.
“Now I am not training until 6 or 7pm, so I have to keep myself going during the day and make sure I am not going into training tired at night.
“I think I have managed to deal with it quite well.”
Fighting for promotion from League Two with Peterhead
During his time at Peterhead, who currently sit second in League Two, Goldie has enjoyed the high-stakes of fighting for promotion.
Aiming for titles is not something he is unfamiliar with, having tasted success as a youth at Celtic, but Goldie admits it is a different kind of pressure he is currently experiencing at senior level.
The Blue Toon sit second in the table on 39 points, 13 behind leaders Stenhousemuir and three ahead of third-placed Spartans, who have played two games fewer.
“Being at Celtic you are expected to win the league,” said Goldie. “Coming to Peterhead, every game we go into we’re fighting for three points and looking to get promoted.
“It’s different to Celtic because obviously at Peterhead we want to go up the levels and we’re fighting for our spot in the league above.
“The points mean so much more in the likes of League Two to what it was like at youth level. It can be difficult, but it has been a great experience.”
When Goldie signed for the Blue Toon, co-manager Ryan Strachan said he hoped Peterhead could be the club who provided a springboard for the teenager to one day move on to a higher level – and a return to full-time football is something Goldie has set his sights on in the future.
“It has been amazing since I have arrived at Peterhead,” said Goldie. “It has been brilliant for me to get first-team games in.
“I think, like most footballers would do, I would like to take the step back up into full-time, especially with me just turning 19 this weekend.
“I feel like I’ve done well to earn that opportunity again, but we will see how things go.”
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