It’s been the toughest year of his career but former Dundee United winger Billy King hopes staying in Ireland will see him come through it reborn.
King left Tannadice last summer after spending the latter part of his final season on loan at Gillingham.
After being told he wouldn’t feature in boss Robbie Neilson’s plans, the former Hearts, Inverness and Rangers wide man signed on at Morton.
Struggling for fitness and form, he opted to leave the Ton in January for a move across the Irish Sea to join Dublin side St Patrick’s Athletic.
Their 2020 season was less than a month old when the coronavirus pandemic put paid to the campaign, seeing all staff temporarily laid off, King included.
However, the former Scotland under-21 cap is keen to stay at the club and pick up where he left off after scoring the winner in their last match – a 1-0 success against Cork City.
“It’s a different experience that’s for sure but I was really enjoying myself,” the 25-year-old said.
“It was an experience that I needed – I needed to play games and start enjoying my football again, which I haven’t been in the last year.
“I’ve had a few niggly injuries that made it all a bit stop start and were keeping me back which meant that I couldn’t get fit.
“I was on loan at Gillingham from Dundee United and I never really played down there, and I hadn’t played in ages.
“I was without a team over the summer so was having to train myself for about two and a half months, which was nowhere near the intensity of what it’s like at a club.
“I then obviously signed with Morton, who were maybe five or so games into their season. I’d come in completely unfit and I just couldn’t get going.
“Going a year without football was quite tough.”
King, whose brother Adam is currently with the Tangerines, admits football has not been the only thing on his mind in a challenging last 12 months.
Money worries have dogged the winger after dipping in and out of the game, signing short-term deals and moving all over the UK and Ireland. However, he is hoping the worst of it is now behind him and is aiming to get back to focusing on football again soon.
His future may be up in the air but King hopes to be a part of St Patrick’s gaffer Stephen O’Donnell’s plans once the action returns.
King, who scored 11 goals in 63 appearances for the Tangerines, added: “Not playing is one thing, but when you’re not getting paid and you’ve got a mortgage and bills to pay, it’s really mentally straining.
“It was frustrating. I had to borrow money from my folks and that’s one of the bad things about football, the side that you don’t get to see, especially at the lower levels.
“You don’t have the comfort of the top-flight footballers, who’ve had their big moves.
“If you’re not getting paid then you’ve maybe got the luxury of dipping into your savings.
“While if you’re playing at the lower levels of Scottish football, it can be really difficult when you’re without a club and not playing all together.
“Last year was a really difficult period for me but, thankfully, I’ve got through it.
“I can just focus on enjoying myself and, hopefully, my football over in Ireland with St Pats.”
