Scott Agnew and Ian Murray’s competitive streak runs so deep, the Raith double act can’t finish a training session without a wager on a penalty shoot-out. And assistant Aggy says Rovers fans can bet on their team working overtime in a bid to outlast the Championship opposition.
Where one goes, the other follows with Stark’s Park now their fourth destination together. Murray took Agnew with him from Dumbarton to St Mirren then Airdrie, where he also gave him the No.2 gig. The 34-year-old’s left peg is renowned for set-piece precision but it’s his presentation skills gaining greater ground in football circles.
As the owner of a personal trainer business, he’s been out talking to kids with Andy Robertson ’s AR26 Charity and back at the Buddies helping boys going part-time. From classroom to dressing room, finding a way to get the best out of a group that watched the play-offs unfold last season is driving the former Rangers youth on.
He said: “If you can find someone that you work well with, you’re likely to be more successful I believe. It felt natural (coming to Raith), the manager has never hidden the fact he wants me to be his No.2.
“We always spoke about, if he was to get an opportunity, would I be able to come with him, so I wasn’t surprised. Certainly on a matchday he’s probably a little bit more animated than me on the sidelines. But it works because I can just drop in and out in his ear.
“Last year it worked really well because a lot of the time I was on the pitch so it gave me an opportunity to see it from the players’ point of view as well. I’m just there to support him and try to keep him calm as best as I can!
“Even myself and the manager, we’ll play each other at penalties after every training session. I think my penalties are better now than they have ever been because I’m in a competition with the manager every day – we must hit about 20 each.
“There’s always something on the line. Coffees, lunch, if we’re off the next day there could be a pint on the line. Pride it could be, that’s the biggest one. We keep one of the young goalies out. They probably hate it but myself and the manager love it. It started at Airdrie, I think he used to play the goalie coach then I got wheeled in.”
Agnew is still registered to play but, unlike last season, “will only play when and if required” as coaching dominates his focus.
Many, when awarded a 25-yard free-kick, would like to bring on a guy dubbed a “magician” in training by an ex-team-mate in MailSport.
“Aye hopefully… then take me back off,” laughed Agnew, a luxury that will not be afforded to a team hunting promotion.
He said: “Last year we had unbelievable footballers in our team (at Airdrie) but the work rate was incredible. If you look at Adam Frizzell, Dylan Easton, who are again wonderful footballers but they’re not just that.
“Sometimes when you have good players, they might neglect the working side. But everyone in that team last year was working as hard as they possibly could and they knew they had to – the boys didn’t allow the standards to slip.
“It will be the same at Raith, we’ll demand that and there will be players within the group who will demand it as well. It’s a really good group and we’ll look to bring our own in who know us, know how we work and can improve the team.
“It’s a very good league we’re going into and ultimately there’s an opportunity to get to the Premiership, so I’m really excited by it. I’m excited by the players we’ve got at the club.”
It’s seven years since Agnew and a pal started The Fitness Group in Glasgow – now they’ve more than 20 full-time staff and working UK-wide. PFA Scotland and their counterparts down south send players their way, the idea being to open up minds and options to a life where football as the be-all and end-all often isn’t sustainable.
Agnew said: “There are boys who maybe fall out of full-time football and do it, it becomes their career – fitness – and it almost replaces football. There’s the alternative. Lawrence Shankland did it when he was at Ayr just to earn extra money round about football. Obviously he has kicked on and is now an international player.
“There’s no right or wrong way to do it, the qualifications are valuable regardless of how your career is panning out. There are lots of different opportunities for players and it is something we should be looking at.
“I think years and years ago, if you were in full-time football, you were told to focus on that and that only, almost don’t take your eye off the ball. But the mindset has switched. It takes a bit of pressure off your football.”
Visit The Fitness Group for more info on personal training courses.
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