Nugent will take some time out
Published 8 Jun 2012 10:00
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PROMOTION winning Dumbarton captain Paul Nugent is ready to take a complete break from football after being released by the club.
The defender was not offered a new deal with the Sons and this week admitted that his appetite for the game has been lost, despite being a key player in the club's rise to the First Division.
And while there are already plenty of clubs chasing the 29-year-old's signature, he is in no rush to get back to playing and will focus on his job with Chivas Brothers at the Kilmalid bottling plant.
Nugent, from Bonhill, told Sport Scene: "Being the captain of the promotion winning side is certainly something that can't be taken away from me and it's a good way to go out.
"It was disappointing not to play in the last game because I was suspended but it's a season-long thing and I certainly played my part.
"For the coming season I just didn't think I would have been able to make the sort of commitment that would be needed to make that step up into he First Division due to work commitments.
"With the job I'm going to be doing now I will be working away a lot and as much as it was great winning promotion I had probably lost my appetite for the game a bit.
"So I'm going to take a bit of a break from football for a while and not play at all, even though there have been plenty of offers on the table already. It might be that in a few months time I miss it and decide to try to get a club at Christmas time, whatever level that might be at.
"But I will not go back until I've got the appetite for it again because that wouldn't be fair on my team mates."
Dumbarton have wasted no time in assembling their squad for the First Division and have confirmed that Bryan Prunty, Pat Walker, Alan Lithgow and Kevin Nicoll have all agreed deals.
The club has also added former Airdrie United winger Phil Johnston to their ranks and striker Jim Lister has joined from Brechin City.
But Nugent, who will continue to be a loyal Sons fan, believes that a few more quality players need to be signed if the club is to compete next season.
He said: "I'll still be going down to watch Dumbarton next year and I'm sure they will still let me in. They've got a great team spirit there and I've still got lots of friends at the club so it will be great to see how they get on.
"I think they will need to add a few more players to be able to compete at that level but they have also got young guys there who have the potential to step up and do really well.
"And in Jack Ross, who I think will eventually go on to be a great manager in his own right, they have someone who will be able to assist in making the team as competitive as possible."
This article appeared in Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter 05 Jun 12
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