Hitman Grant needs goal at Gretna to make history | |
By Ian Orr | |
|
A goal would make him the only player to have notched against all 42 of Scotland's current senior clubs.
Only Third Division rivals Gretna, who were admitted to the SFL last year, stand between 37-year-old Grant and a remarkable achievement, clocked up over a career that began in 1986 as a Cowdenbeath trainee.
In two spells at St Johnstone, the period for which he is best known, the veteran hitmanmanaged to breach every Premier League defence.
During stints at Dunfermline, Partick, Ayr and Brechin, he added the names of Airdrie United, Inverness Caley Thistle, Ross County and present side, Peterhead, to his scoring portfolio.
Grant said: ``It would be nice to score against Gretna and complete the set. It would besomething to lookbackon after myplaying career is over, a real honour.''
But don't expect him to be selfish just to achieve his aim. He added: ``I'm not going tosnatch at shots or try to create openings in the wrong areas. If the chance comes, it comes but we'll just have to wait and see what happens. We have to play them another twice this season so other opportunities could come up.''
With senior league football having started way back in 1890 with only one 10-team division, an SFL spokesman admitted it was possible one player could have scored against all other nine teams in the first season. However, records are incomplete.
But Grant is the only person in the frame for recent times given the number of new clubs that have entered the SFL.
Achieving such a distinction would give him quite a lift in the twilight of his career.
He said: ``People have been saying my legs have gone since I was about 21 and I am 37 now.''
Grant was Cowdenbeath's top scorer in 1986-87 (shared) and 87-88 with 14 and 11 goals respectively.
With Saints he took the award in 89-90, 96-97 and 98-99 (shared) with 19, nineand four.
In 2000-2001, he was the top Brechin marksman with 22.