Ross County goalkeeper Trevor Carson wants to prove he still has plenty of mileage left in the tank after moving to Dingwall on loan from Dundee
Trevor Carson says he is out to prove he still has a lot left in the tank during his loan spell with Ross County.
The 37-year-old goalkeeper fell down the pecking order at parent club Dundee after Steven Pressley replaced now-Staggies boss Tony Docherty in the summer.
Carson had played 54 matches across all competitions in the two preceding years at Dens Park, and Pressley revealed after his move north was sealed that the Northern Ireland international did not want to sit on the bench.
So far, that gamble of coming to Dingwall has paid off. Carson has started in both matches he has been available for, making an important save in the 1-1 draw away at Morton on debut and then keeping County’s first league clean sheet for 17 matches against Raith Rovers last weekend.
The shot-stopper himself echoed Pressley’s comments, insisting that he just wants to play, and that at this stage of his career he still feels like he has a lot to offer for years to come.
“It’s probably one of the main reasons I’m three hours away from my family,” Carson said.
“I still feel I’ve got plenty to offer. I know I’m not getting any younger, but I still feel like I’ve got plenty of years in me.
“I’m not happy being number two or three at a club – that’s not an ego thing, I would just rather go out and play games of football.
“That’s what you work all week for, and I think my missus was getting fed up of me when I wasn’t playing, and not having that to look forward to.
“I’m off to a decent start as well which always helps, but I just love the pressure of going out and playing for three points on a Saturday.
“The fear of making a mistake, the excitement of winning games of football, there’s nothing better than that.
“It was a tough decision to come here, I’m not going to lie. Being away from family is something I haven’t been great at in the past, but I felt like this was the right time. Everything seems to be working out okay so far.”
Adding to Carson’s desire to get out and play is the fact that he missed most of the time between 2019 and 2021 due to a serious knee injury.
He has no cartilage in his knee, meaning bone grinds on bone, but alongside the best specialists in the UK he has devised a specialised training programme that allows him to still be fit every Saturday.
Having gone through an extended spell without playing, though, he was desperate not to waste time by sitting on the bench at Dundee.
“Ironically it’s probably the fittest I’ve felt in two years, and I wasn’t playing at Dundee this season,” he reasoned.
“My knee hasn’t felt this good for a solid 18 months to two years, so that was frustrating. Then comes the temptation to change my training days and do more, which I’ve been guilty of in the past.
“There’s nothing worse than having an off-feet day on Wednesday, and it’s a gym day but my knee is feeling great. It has taken me close to a year to retrain my brain to know that I can’t go out and train, because my knee just can’t handle it.
“I’ve seen that over the years, but I do have a programme where I can still be ready for Saturday.
“I look at the likes of Craig Gordon and Allan McGregor as inspirations for me to keep going on. Craig is a fantastic example – I worked with him at Sunderland for three or four years and built up a good relationship with him.
“At 33 or 34, he didn’t play for two years. He was coaching at Cowdenbeath and doing a little bit of training, so that is an inspiration of how you can turn it around, and he’s still going and in the national squad.
“I don’t have a timeline in my head of when I’m going to pack it in, because I love that Saturday feeling too much.
“You just blanks it out and keep going until your body says stop, and thankfully at the minute my body isn’t.”
Part of the appeal of Ross County for Carson was the opportunity to link back up with familiar faces. He had worked with Tony Docherty over the last two seasons at Dens Park, and knew Declan Gallagher from Motherwell and Nicky Clark from Dundee United.
For someone who admitted he has not always coped well with living away from his partner and children, that has helped smooth what could have been a tricky transition period for Carson in the Highlands.
“I’ve probably been a bit of an introvert over the years – when I was away, I’d go back to the house and walk the house, and just be on my own,” he reflected.
“This time, I know the likes of Declan, Doc, Nicky Clark, and I’ve really bought into it.
“I spoke to Liam Boyce before I came here, and Simon Murray and Michael McGovern, and a lot of people are in the same boat up here of being away from their home base so there is not really any other option than to mix and go to the driving range, go bowling, go for food, and it’s great.
“I haven’t experience that before, because at other clubs most of the boys’ homes are 30 minutes away and they go back to their families, but it’s definitely a different feeling up here.
“You just keep the mind busy, and hat’s something I’ve just learned from experience.
“There’s nothing worse than going back and feeling sorry for yourself because you’re three hours away from your family, and feeling guilt because they’re not in my partner’s home base either but she’s having to deal with the kids and the dog.
“It’s easy to sit and feel guilty, and feel sorry for yourself, but she has been so supportive in terms of understanding where I’m at in my career and how important it is for me to try and keep going.
“I’m out of contract in seven months, and if I was to sit on the bench at Dundee for a year I can’t imagine my options next summer would have been great.
“I like my fate to be in my own hands, and do my bit, and hopefully this year will give me the platform to do that.”