Ryan Gauld has not had it all his own way since leaving Dundee United for Portuguese top-flight football.
The tricky winger was tipped for the top when he departed Tannadice for European giants Sporting Lisbon at just 18. But, after finding it difficult to break into the squad at Estadio Jose Alvalade was released.
Not before he managed to earn some playing time during a series of loan spells, though, one of which took him to the capital under Paul Heckingbottom at Hibs.
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For Gauld, now at Farense, it was a match made in heaven, on paper at least. Injury curtailed his time in Leith and put him on the shelf and ruined his opportunity. "It was a shame that an injury killed any momentum I could have got when I was at Hibs on loan," he told the Courier.
"It didn’t allow me the chance to get going and do what I was hoping to do, which was get a run of games and do what I’ve done this season in Portugal.
“Farense have helped me out a lot and given me this opportunity to play every week which is what I’ve been missing for the last few years. I’ve got another year on my contract after this and I feel like I owe it to them and to myself to play for them in the top league next season. Hopefully I can prove a point then, I suppose."
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While Gauld, now 24, has not yet lived up to the hype of his former 'mini-Messi' tag, he has refused to rule out ever returning to Scottish football. Though at the moment he's enjoying his time abroad.
"I’m not saying I wouldn’t like to try something new but I played all my youth football in Scotland, then with the first team in the top league at Dundee United. And I went to Hibs, which didn’t really work out," he added.
"It wouldn’t be my top choice to go back again but you can never rule it out. And United are my team in Scotland, so I could never say never to going back there some day.
"If an opportunity came up to play in England and it was the right club and manager, I would certainly consider that. It would need to be the right style of football for me, though."
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