Ray McKinnon has always considered himself a glass half-full kind of person.
Upbeat and optimistic, his enthusiasm for football is infectious and he becomes increasingly animated as he begins to talk about the game he so dearly loves.
The ex-Dundee United manager is, by his own admission, now back in his happy place after accepting Forfar’s call to take charge at Station Park three weeks ago.
And, given what he has been through in the last six months, few could deny him the right to be happy.
McKinnon has made a swift recovery from the heart attack he suffered in May, a life-changing incident he didn’t even realise had happened until he sought medical assistance because ‘something wasn’t right.’
Back running again with his friends and looking as fit as a fiddle, McKinnon, 52, is now positively beaming at the challenge of lifting Angus club Forfar off the bottom of League Two.
“I had a really great year out of the game after leaving Queen’s Park,” said McKinnon. “Then, as has been well-documented, I had a heart attack.
“I didn’t actually realise it had happened at the time. I was out running but I’m lucky I spotted that something wasn’t right and the fabulous people at Ninewells Hospital looked after me.
“It’s a stark reminder that you have to enjoy your life. You have to appreciate what you’ve got.
Wake-up call
“Things like family and children are very important to me but the biggest wake-up call to me was that I need to be happy in life.
“When you have a heart attack it makes you appreciate being here.
“It makes you seek out the things that make you smile. Football makes me happy because I absolutely love being a coach and a manager.
“I feel incredibly strong again. I feel fit physically and mentally and I’m out running regularly with my friends again.
“Life is all about enjoyment and being Forfar manager means I’m back doing something that ensures I get out of bed every morning with a smile on my face.”
Success as boss for Ray McKinnon
McKinnon has a wealth of managerial experience at all levels, with Forfar his ninth club.
He led United to the Scottish Challenge Cup in 2017.
He also propelled Queen’s Park from third bottom of League Two to an unbeaten title-clinching run in 2021.
And he gazes admiringly across Angus at Arbroath’s Dick Campbell – the longest-serving manager in Scottish football.
McKinnon added: “I want to do well. Dick Campbell is still working in this game at 69.
“I want to be working at 69. That’s how much I love the game.
“I want to be like Dick or Roy Hodgson or any older manager and still be involved.
“Dick obviously still has a lot to offer and I feel the same.
“If I can do this for the next 20 years then I’ll be delighted. That will give me a happy life.
McKinnon missed the buzz of football
“There are things I’ve missed about the game that I didn’t even realise.
“I got such a buzz the first time I pulled on the jacket and went on the training field with the Forfar players.
“It felt like I was back where I belonged.
“Football management can be such a volatile industry but it gets me going every day.
“The first few weeks have reminded me how much of a rollercoaster ride it is.
“We were 1-0 up on Bonnyrigg Rose and lost a goal in the 93rd minute.
“Then, with ten men, we went 2-1 up at Dumbarton, only for it to finish 2-2.
“We are bottom of the league for a reason and something has to change.
“But I’m positive I can make that change.
“If we can get this club to safety then we can start to implement a plan for the future that will make it one of the most sustainable part-time clubs around.
“There are so many good people at this level. So many volunteers who dedicate their lives to the club. I want to succeed and make them all happy.”
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