A former goalkeeper who made more than 200 appearances in the Scottish Premiership is set to stand as a Conservative MP in the upcoming general election.
Derek Stillie combines his duties as Ayr United’s goalkeeping coach with the day job as the director of a law firm in the town.
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However, the former Aberdeen, Dunfermline and Dundee United stopper is now hoping to unseat the SNP’s Commons health spokeswoman Dr Philippa Whitford for the Central Ayrshire seat after he was selected as the Tory candidate in the December 12 vote.
Stillie, who picked up a League Cup honours with the Pittodrie club, said: “It is a great honour to have been selected to contest Central Ayrshire for the Scottish Conservatives and to have the opportunity to seek to represent my home constituency as a Member of Parliament.”
“If, with the support of local people, I am fortunate enough to be elected, I will be a strong voice for the people of Central Ayrshire and will work hard to deal with the issues most important to local communities.”
Dr Whitford retained her seat in the 2017 election with 16,771 votes, just ahead of the Scottish Conservative candidate Caroline Hollins-Martin on 15,504.
If victorious, Stillie will join a number of political representatives who have swapped the pitch for the polls.
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Jim Leishman, who managed Stillie at Dunfermline in 2004, has been Lord Provost of Fife since 2012.
Meanwhile, Douglas Ross, Highlands and Islands Tory MP, combines his constituency work with his role as an SFA official.
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