Strathspey Thistle coach Aaron Doran believes Jags will be better for adjustment period last season after returning to action in friendly against Inverness Caley Thistle
Aaron Doran admits joining Strathspey Thistle was a big adjustment last season – but he is confident that the club will be stronger for it going into the 2025/26 campaign.
The Inverness Caledonian Thistle legend was brought in as a player/coach to assist manager Ryan Esson, marking the first departure from full-time football in Doran’s senior career.
He has had his eyes opened to the realities of part-time football, while also getting to know the Highland League and its players, even if it has been a marked change from what he is used to.
Doran had never properly coached before joining the Grantown side but had put some building blocks in place for a post-playing career by gaining his B Licence during Covid.
With some more experience under his belt, and having gone through that adjustment period, the Irishman is confident that the Jags will be on the rise this season.
“Once Ryan Esson gave me a call, I thought it was a no-brainer because nobody else was going to give me a chance when I’d just had surgery and everyone knew I was going to be out for nine to 12 months,” Doran said.
“It was good of Strathspey and Ryan Esson to do that for me, and it was a good, enjoyable season actually.
“I know we didn’t finish where we wanted to finish, but I’m sure we will be a lot better once we get a full pre-season and a few more players in.
“It basically took most of last season to adjust to not being in a professional setting.
“We’ve gone into semi-pro where the lads are training twice-a-week after doing a full day at work.
“You expect a lot but you can’t expect too much when you know they are working just as hard off the field as well.
“It’s an adjustment, and it takes time even though you always want things to be better than they are especially when Strathspey were in the position they were in.
“This year we will be better for it. We know more about the league and the players, and what we need to do and what we’re looking for.
“We can look at Clachnacuddin and how well they did last season compared to the year before, so if we can do something like that it will be a big achievement for the club.”
On a personal note, Doran has also spent the last year or so building back up to fitness after an ACL injury he suffered towards the end of his time with Caley Thistle.
Although he was named in matchday squads, he never got back on the pitch last season.
But he did make his return to action in a friendly for the Jags against an ICT XI last weekend, scoring his side’s goal in a 4-1 defeat.
Perhaps more than ever before, it has been a tough pre-season given his starting point but there has also been an element of satisfaction at being able to get back on the pitch – and not just watching and coaching from the sidelines.
“I think it was the worst injury I’ve had to recover from,” Doran reasoned.
“I was just doing my physio with Becky Mussett, who was with Inverness with me, once-a-week whereas when I was at Inverness I was doing rehab every day.
“Everything has been straightforward, it just took a little bit longer than we thought, probably because I’m outwith the professional environment and I have to work on top of it.
“Hopefully I’ll be all ready to go by the start of the season, because I’ve taken part in every session that I can so far in pre-season.
“It has been good coaching from the sidelines, but you’re always itching to get back out there. I’m hoping to have a few more years on the pitch, so we’ll see how it goes but I feel good.”
Ben Gardiner got the first for the vistors before Barcelona-born Carlos Heredia, who has been capped 15 times by the Dominican Republic, netted a quick-fire double.
Sam Thompson made it 4-0 from a free-kick before Doran scored the consolation for the Jags.