Grady McGrath has experienced a rollercoaster year.
Last June, he was released by boyhood club Dundee before taking a full-time job and signing for East Craigie, six leagues beneath the Dark Blues.
Twelve months on, he is looking to get his football career back on track with Brechin City after catching the eye of former Scotland boss, and club adviser, Craig Levein.
Goals aplenty
The step down through divisions appears to have done the 20-year-old the world of good.
✍ 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗠𝗖𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬
The club is delighted to confirm the signing of talented young striker Grady McGrath on a two year contract from @eastcraigiefc where he netted a staggering 72 goals last season.
Full story ➡️ https://t.co/6N1xfelsM5 pic.twitter.com/J9k5a5sswt
— Brechin City FC (@BrechinCityFC) May 18, 2022
He amassed an incredible 74 goals in the East of Scotland Midland League. Despite some reports elsewhere stating 72, Grady insists they have chalked off two.
This attracted interest from Arbroath and full-time clubs including Cove Rangers and Raith Rovers.
While a return to full-time football is the end goal, for now, the opportunity to play football on a regular basis, promised by Levein, was something too good to turn down.
“I’m really excited to join Brechin,” McGrath told Courier Sport.
“I met with Andy [Kirk] and Craig a couple of months ago to speak about things and I was really impressed with them.
“They made it seem like a really good place to be and I know a couple of the boys that will be there.
“They spoke really well and knew a lot about me and said I’d done the right thing in stepping down the leagues to come back up.
“It just seemed they had done their research which was a huge selling point for me.”
Levein at Craigie Park
McGrath recalls a couple of games where heads were turned at the sight of Craig Levein at Craigie Park.
He admits tongues were wagging over who he was there to cast an eye over.
“I think everyone had been aware that he had been up to watch a few games because everyone recognised him and wondered who he had been watching,” McGrath said.
“My dad had been speaking to the scout and realised it was me that they were there to watch, and a couple of other boys as well.
“It was good to see interest from such a big name in Scottish football.
“It was a bit of a shock to everyone when he turned up to the games.
“He wasn’t one of the regulars!”
