From Vikings to Victoria Park, Buckie Thistle new boy Sam Pugh will make himself heard, says manager Graeme Stewart
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SAM Pugh can give Buckie Thistle a strong voice and more quality on the pitch when Highland League football eventually returns.
That’s the view of Jags’ manager Graeme Stewart, whose determined quest to sign the Oldmeldrum lad finally bore fruit last week.
Pugh (22) penned a two-year deal with Buckie, having graduated from a soccer scholarship in America and come back to his home country.
A former Inverurie Locos and Keith player as a teenager, Pugh joined a UK-based Sporting Futures USA programme, which earned him a dream opportunity in the States.
He studied business administration at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, while playing for their Vikings soccer team.
Buckie boss Stewart recalled watching a teenage Pugh bossing around senior players before he embarked on his American adventure.
“I knew him about five years ago and I tried to sign him for Buckie in my first year as manager,” said Stewart.
“I think he was at Hermes and I watched him but he ended up signing for Locos.
“He struggled to get in the team there when he was so young and he moved to Keith and played every week at the age of 17 for a year before he went to America.
“I liked him, he had leadership qualities, I remember watching him when he was 17 ordering all these adults around and he was speaking the whole time, shouting.
“Even that is a massive quality in a young player. As soon as I knew he was available I wanted to get him in.”
Pugh, who can play in defence or midfield, becomes the fourth Sam to join the books of the Victoria Park club, who already have Sam Urquhart, Sam Robertson and Sam Morrison in their ranks.
“He will probably play centre back or centre midfield,” Stewart said.
“We’ve lost Kieran Adams in defence and we don’t know what is happening with (Ross County loanee) Jack Murray so we could do with strengthening in that area.
“He came back a couple of weeks ago so he’s already been introduced to our Whatsapp group. A few of the boys already know him and he’s integrated really well, which is brilliant. I think he’s going to fit in perfectly.
“We’ve got four Sams now which is a bit crazy. I’ve already had a problem when we only had three and I shouted ‘Sam’ and they all turned round, so I’ll have to use their nicknames!”
Stewart has no plans to set any fitness targets over the extended close season, insisting football is not a priority when the country is in lockdown.
He will assess his playing squad over the coming weeks to assess what needs to be done to strengthen Jags’ challenge.
“We’ve been quite clever during the season by moving a few on. Probably one or two others will move so we are just trying to identify them. But there’s no rush.
“There’s bigger priorities right now, to be honest.”
