Anderson admits some of the passion has gone as he calls time on Wick Academy career
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Steven Anderson admitted he had lost some of his passion for playing Highland League football after announcing that he has left Wick Academy.
A combination of family and work commitments led to the striker's decision and he said he felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders as he had been contemplating it for some time.
Anderson (29) scored 78 goals in 182 appearances for Academy in all competitions. He returned to Harmsworth Park a year ago after a spell with Rothes.
“I'd lost a bit of my passion and desire from when I was younger," he said.
“When you have a child it makes you re-evaluate and think about what you would rather do at weekends.
“I've done it for nine years now and I thought that'll be enough for me. I just felt it was time for me to call it a day.
“I felt a little pressure and weight lifted off my shoulders when I told them that I was done, because I had thought about it for a long time.
“I will miss it, of course I will, but I just weighed up my options and I thought stopping it would be the best thing for me.”
The 2021/22 campaign was a frustrating one for the Scorries as they had to contend with an unprecedented catalogue of injuries. They finished in the top half of the table, in ninth place – helped by a run of eight wins from nine league games in November, December and January – but were knocked out of all three cup competitions at the first-round stage.
“At the start of the season we should have been winning games – we were in winning positions and then we were drawing," Anderson said.
"It was frustrating – but we did all right to end up in the position we did considering the season that we had, to be fair."
Anderson hit 11 goals in 31 appearances last term.
He was among the scorers in Academy's 6-2 North of Scotland Cup final victory over Nairn County in 2015. “The biggest stand-out for me was the North of Scotland Cup, for sure,” he said.
Anderson – who played for Lybster at county league level before joining Academy – said he would consider a return to summer football.
“I'll see how it goes with that," he said. "It's not a massive commitment because obviously it's only a couple of months.”
Academy manager Gary Manson said: "Unfortunately Steven has decided to call time on his Highland League career to spend more time with his family. It was a tough decision for him but one he feels is right.
"It's a blow to us, but family comes first and we'll move forward."
