LAST Friday marked the seventh anniversary of James McFadden's iconic goal for Scotland against France.
The moment passed him by. McFadden is not currently in a position to be daydreaming idly about the past. Not while there is too much to be done in the present and concerns about his future. Somehow the one-time Tartan Army pin-up, Berti Vogts' Cheeky Boy, is in danger of being lost to the game.
McFadden is 31 now, a reminder that nobody is immune to life's ageing process. He is what could be euphemistically described as "between clubs". Released by Motherwell at the end of last season, he has been training with Partick Thistle while his representatives try to sort him out with a contract.
That it is mid-September and he is still without a club is, unsurprisingly, something of a frustration. The man known universally as Faddy is speaking in the unlikely setting of a bookies shop in Glasgow, having being asked to help conduct the draw for the second round of the William Hill Scottish Cup. It is four years since he last played for his country but he remains a hugely popular figure, a smattering of punters offering him hearty greetings on their way to the pay-in window to stick on a line for the next race from Wolverhampton, Musselburgh or Brighton.
He is not overly fussy where he plays next, and insists he is far from a soccer mercenary, but there are a few caveats. He has four children, two of whom are at school, and he would need to take their needs into consideration. There have been offers from abroad but he reveals that might not be the best move for him. "It was a hard sell to my wife to take the kids somewhere that wasn't great," he admits.
"I need to look after them and make sure they are happy."
He will not be signing for Kilmarnock, Hamilton Academical or Falkirk either. There are certain things McFadden will not entertain and artificial pitches is one of them.
Any clubs using one, like the aforementioned trio, won't be parading him in their strip any time soon. "I don't think it's right," he adds. "We should be playing football on grass. It's better for communities and for clubs to save money but I don't think professional football should be played on plastic pitches. I don't like them. The ball doesn't roll, it slides. It doesn't bounce well and when it's dry it's really sticky.
"I wouldn't sign for a club with a plastic pitch. It takes a toll on your body, and I've had problems with my knee. I can do it but I wouldn't want to be doing it every day."
There are few who watched McFadden at his peak, the sheer almost childlike joy with which he celebrated every Scotland goal, who would not wish him a speedy return. He hopes that day won't be far away.
Much as he enjoys spending Saturday afternoons with his family, it feels almost alien to him when he should be out on a football pitch. "I just need to get somewhere and start playing games," he admits. "The fact I'm still without a club is part self-inflicted. I've had offers from here, there and everywhere, but it has just not been right for me. I've been a little bit picky and now I'm getting a bit agitated. Saturday at 3pm is a horrible time. I don't know what to do with myself.
"I don't even watch the scores coming in or anything."
That night in Paris, when his 30-yard looping shot sailed over the head of goalkeeper Mickael Landreau to deliver a famous Scotland victory, remains a proud moment, but he hopes there is still more to come.
"Obviously I remember it and I look back on it fondly. But, I want to get back playing again so I can have nights like that again. If I can get back playing to a level I am happy with then I do believe [a Scotland return] it's possible. Time is running out for me but you never know what could happen."
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