A RAYDALE OF LIGHT FOR SCOTT

SCOTT PATERSON would love a Scottish Cup winner's medal as a birthday present.

But more than anything the Gretna defender simply wants his career back on track.

Paterson celebrates his 34th birthday tomorrow but has had little reason to celebrate in the last three years.

In August 2003, disaster struck in only his second game for Dundee United when he injured his knee in a tackle with Henrik Larsson at Parkhead.

Paterson was out of the game for a year and came back to find his career at Tannadice cruelly compromised when then boss Ian McCall was forced to make cuts.

The former Bristol City and Partick Thistle player sought refuge at St Johnstone at the start of the season.

All was going fine until he slipped on a frosty pitch at Dundee in November and dislocated his other knee.

Gretna offered him a short-term deal in March and he has been a regular in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Paterson, who started his career at Liverpool, admits he would love to extend his stay at Raydale Park beyond the summer.

If he plays, he knows a stand-out performance against Edgaras Jankauskas and Roman Bednar at Hampden would go a long way towards convincing Rowan Alexander to keep him at Gretna.

Paterson said: "I signed a six-month deal at St Johnstone and everything was going well until November when I dislocated my knee.

"It was tough to take after my previous injury at Tannadice kept me out for 12 months.

"Unfortunately, the problem with signing short-term deals is the lack of protection when you pick up a serious injury.

"Although Owen Coyle was keen to keep me at McDiarmid Park, it was no great surprise when I had to move on.

"I rushed my rehab to get back into the shop window and because I was out of contract, I could sign for a club outwith the January deadline.

"I was delighted when Gretna came calling but I'm still trying to catch up with my fitness after the injury and reckon I'm only 65 per cent there.

"I'm happy to be here, training and playing and being part of a club that's really going places.

"I'll be 34 on Cup Final day and I'd love to feature against Hearts but getting agood pre-season under my belt is every bit as important.

"There's talk of me doing apre-season with Gretna and it would allow me to get fully fit again because my knees are absolutely fine and any specialist will tell you that.

"Gretna have facilities that are on a par with, if not better than, most SPL clubs, who struggle for even the training basics.

"Brooks Mileson is a great football man and the journey this club has made in the last five seasons is unbelievable.

"It's amazing to think the team are in the Scottish Cup Final and will play UEFA Cup football next season. It's a great story and I'm sure there are still more chapters to be written."

Taken from the Daily Record