Ex Hearts and Hibs men react to SPFL club exit as one in honest injury admission and another 'gutted'
The former Hearts and Hibs pair have been released by the same club
A former Hearts and Hibs duo have opened up after their releases from an SPFL club.
Dunfermline Athletic have confirmed that ex Hearts striker Craig Wighton and previous Hibs playmaker David Wotherspoon are moving on at the end of their contracts. Wighton has already signed for Montrose following a loan spell at Links Park while Wotherspoon is heading for free agency. Hearts will face Dunfermline Athletic in the group stage of the Premier Sports Cup.
The former Jambos forward has made an honest injury assessment in the wake of his Pars exit. After an ACL injury earlier in his career, he has candidly admitted that full time action isn’t something his body can handle any more.
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He told Dunfermline Press: "I've played, I don't know how many games to be honest. It must be close to 400 games or whatever, so I've played a lot of football, and I've had a lot of good moments in my career as well. There's still plenty of time left, but I think at the part-time level is where it's going to be, so I'm just looking forward to the season with Montrose.
"I think going to Montrose and training the two nights, some weeks only training the one night, I think my body has felt better, and my knee seems to be reacting to that a bit better as well. I think the days of me being able to train every day and the demands of full-time football are probably just too big an ask at this point. I'm happy with the decision and it's definitely the right thing going forward.
"I don't want to just be at a club and only train one day here and there when they're full-time and boys are training every day. I don't think that works, personally, for a long period, so it's the right thing to do."
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Wotherspoon meanwhile was disappointed to be exiting Dunfermline Athletic. He said: "I mean, obviously, it's never nice, but it is what it is. It's part of football. You've got to try and roll with the punches and, unfortunately, I'm on the wrong side of one. I'm gutted to be fair. I enjoyed my time at the club. I felt like I made some good relationships at the club, on and off the pitch.
"It's a great club to be part of and it's one that's got, that word, potential. It's got potential to go places but, at the same time, it is what it is. I felt like I tried my best and that's all I could do. I got involved in off the pitch side of things as much as I could and, with the coaching aspect, I was really enjoying it under John. I'm just gutted, obviously, but it's football. Nothing surprises me in football these days but I had an inkling that this was going to happen towards the end of the season. I wasn't playing as much and, from bits and pieces that I heard, I felt like it was maybe my time to go.”