'The club means a lot to me' – defender Ruari Fraser on Forres Mechanics departure and start to life at Huntly
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DEFENDER Ruari Fraser has said Forres Mechanics will always mean a lot to him and he will 'support them from afar' after his move to fellow Highland League club Huntly.
The 22-year-old, who now lives and studies in Aberdeen, left Mechanics, his hometown club, after playing time became somewhat limited this campaign.
He has since started six out of six for Huntly and, if Wednesday's match beats the weather, will return to Mosset Park – where his father is a board member – for the first time since his departure.
"It was always going to be difficult to leave Forres," he said. "The club means a lot to me. I'm a Forres lad. I grew up here and my first senior games at 16 were at Forres.
"I never thought I was going to leave but being in and out the team, and with my future in Aberdeen, it was sensible to look long term and build a life through there.
"There are a lot of people I get on really well with at the club so that made it difficult to make the decision to leave. I'll always be supporting Forres from afar."
After picking up an injury early in the campaign, Fraser found himself sitting on the Can-Cans bench more often. Getting back to playing regular football has been a big boost.
"I broke my toe, which kept me out for two or three weeks," he said. "I guess I never forced my way back in.
"I started noticing the travel more and when the opportunity came to join Huntly I couldn't turn it down.
"I'm loving it at Huntly. I have come in at a time that has probably been a bit frustrating results-wise, but it's great to be back playing every week.
"I've started all six matches and played pretty much the whole games. It's been great to get back to doing that."
Fraser, who has played a mixture of centre-back and right-back, wasted no time bagging his first goal for Huntly.
It came in the Aberdeenshire Shield semi-final against Banks O' Dee, before an agonising penalty-kicks defeat.
He never scored for Forres, so the goal was his first in the senior game.
"That was nice on a personal note," he added. "I'm not known for goalscoring so it was nice to get one early.
"It was a set piece and the keeper spilled it and it broke to me to hit it. It took a deflection and went in – it wasn't the prettiest but I will definitely take it."
