Whatever else he lacks in life, Pat Daly will never be short of great memories from his time in Junior football.

And any high spots he has forgotten are sure to be vividly recalled by once-adoring supporters of Shotts Bon Accord, Kilsyth Rangers, Petershill and Harthill Royal, who delighted in the bustling striker's goalscoring exploits from the late 1970s until the early 1990s.

Yet, as proves to be so often the case with so many outstanding marksmen, Baillieston-raised Pat started out as a defender, featuring at centre-half as befitting someone of his undoubted physical stature.

He was anything but unique during his schoolboy days when playing two games on a Saturday, turning out for his school team of St Ambrose Secondary, Coatbridge, in the mornings and renowned Glasgow grassroots outfit Eastercraigs in the afternoons.

With the crack youth side he at least had a good reason for not playing further upfield given that his team-mate with the No.9 jersey was none other than Graeme Sharp, later of Dumbarton, Everton and Scotland fame.

It was only after Pat reverted to playing with local side St Bridget's Boys' Guild that overdue recognition came his way in the shape of a Shotts Bon Accord scout inviting the teenager to Hannah Park for trials in 1977.

Team affairs back then was the responsibility of former Shotts, Cambuslang Rangers and Kilmarnock front man Ross Mathie (soon to be SFA youth coach for the next 30 years) and coming under his tutelage was to be a game-changer for Pat in more ways than one.

"Ross also played as our sweeper and I remember him as one of the elder statesmen along with Rab Forrest in a team whose star turn was goalkeeper Alex Hendry, later capped for Junior Scotland," he said.

"That first season saw us losing to Carluke Rovers and chasing an equaliser, so Ross pushed me up front. I must have done more right than wrong because I was never to play at the back again.

"The next five years are among the most memorable in my career as the goals rained in for me and I picked up a few awards which, with hindsight, was only to be expected playing alongside such as Johnny Hamilton, Pat McKenna, Willie Hadden, Jim Brown and Andy Cunningham.

"I loved my time at Shotts and should never have left them, but a silly dispute over signing terms led to me being put up for transfer and I was enticed by former Airdrie winger Billy Wilson to join his Kilsyth Rangers team in 1982."

Pat Murray, Tommy McAteer, Alan Rodgers and the legendary George Weir also played in a Duncansfield side that emerged as Central B Division title winners and enjoyed

terrific runs in the Scottish and West Cups, helped no end by a 30-goal haul from Pat.

Not so well known is the fact his goals return also caught the eye of Senior scouts and he played for Aberdeen Reserves in a 3-3 Fir Park draw against Motherwell in which he scored twice and set up the other goal for Billy Stark only for his Senior hopes to dashed by then Dons manager Alex Ferguson adjudging the 22-year-old as "too old".

Wilson assuming the reins at Albion Rovers contributed to a slump in Kilsyth's fortunes and Pat only stayed one more season before an approach by Petershill boss Jimmy Kiddie led to him moving to Springburn climes.

He said: "I had a lot of time for Jimmy, now sadly deceased, a fabulous man-manager who knew a player and, more importantly, how to get the best out of them.

"His philosophy was all about passing football and every week his gospel just before we ran out on to the pitch was always, 'don't be running with the ball. It's made round to go around'.

Pat was part of a formidable dressing room alongside noteworthy Juniors such as Jimmy Lindsay, Sam Millar, Ian 'Tattie' Young, Andy Dailly, Danny Scullion and Jimmy Robertson that made it all the way to the 1985 Junior Cup Final only to lose out 3-1 in a replay against Pollok.

He said: "Playing in that Glasgow derby Scottish final stands out as the highlight of my career but it still rankles with me how that Petershill side ended up trophy-less."

Kiddie's ousting to be replaced by Richie Danks the following season was not to Pat's liking and he submitted a transfer request that led to his former Shotts boss John Jamieson luring him to Harthill Royal, where his abilities helped win the East Region Second Division title.

Pat said: "I stayed two seasons before JJ took up the reins at Forth Wanderers and persuaded me to join him and be an experienced presence in a dressing room comprised mainly of young up-and-coming players.

"I surprised myself by completing a two-season stint before eventually hanging up the boots not long after my 34th birthday and reverting to playing five-a-sides with friends.

"Management or coaching was never something that appealed and I rarely frequent Junior games nowadays, although I did go along to a Shotts game years ago and it was great to swap stories with supporters and club officials

"Part of me thinks I never should have left Hannah Park, but if that was the case then I'd never have met Jimmy Kiddie or the terrific people at Petershill ... so, no regrets whatsoever."