Just a rising star
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Chapter X: A Rising Star in Scottish Football
Liam Carter called Kate Carter when he returned to Dundee. The two quickly reached an agreement—she would go to Glasgow in two days to sign Andrew Robertson and arrange for him to attend professional team trials.
Kate was a sharp woman. With Liam's rising reputation, it was clear that he had the potential to become a household name. If she played her cards right, being his agent alone would be far more lucrative than her current job, and significantly easier.
She had already begun transitioning into professional sports management. Signing additional players carried no real downside. If they failed to make it, she only needed to focus on Liam's affairs. But if one of them turned out to be a hidden gem, she would reap the rewards effortlessly.
Of course, given Kate's connections, Robertson's only trial opportunity would be with Dundee United. She didn't have relationships with other clubs yet.
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November 24
All eyes in Scottish football were on Rangers vs. Manchester United, a must-win game for Rangers to keep their knockout stage hopes alive.
Despite their determination, Rangers simply couldn't bridge the gap in quality. Manchester United secured a 1-0 victory, with Wayne Rooney converting a late penalty in the 85th minute.
With Valencia winning their game, Rangers' hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds were crushed.
The Scottish FA had hoped that Rangers' success in Europe would help improve Scotland's UEFA ranking, but those ambitions were now over.
Fortunately, Rangers still finished third in their group, securing a place in the Europa League knockout rounds—a small consolation prize that kept their European campaign alive.
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November 27
Dundee United's fixture was postponed, giving them a week off.
After their away draw against Celtic, Dundee United's rivals had mixed results. Motherwell also managed just a draw, while all other competitors took three points. As a result, Inverness overtook Dundee United in the standings, pushing them down to sixth place.
Motherwell's poor form continued—they dropped points again, this time in a 1-1 draw with St Mirren, a team battling relegation.
In this round, Hearts and Motherwell faced off, with Hearts winning 2-1. Meanwhile, Inverness drew 2-2 against Celtic.
This left the standings as follows:
3rd – Hearts (29 points)
4th – Inverness (25 points)
5th – Motherwell (23 points)
6th – Dundee United (23 points, lower goal difference)
The early-season 0-4 losses were still haunting Dundee United's goal difference.
Although they had a game in hand, the situation was growing increasingly difficult—especially for their European qualification hopes.
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Due to Scotland's declining UEFA coefficient, only the league champions would qualify for the Champions League, while 2nd, 3rd, and the Scottish Cup winners would earn Europa League spots.
If the Scottish Cup winners had already qualified through the league, the 4th-placed team would take the final European slot.
For Dundee United to qualify, they had two realistic paths:
1. Finish in the top three
2. Win the Scottish Cup
If the cup winner had already secured European football, 4th place could also qualify—but to be safe, Dundee United needed to aim for at least 3rd place.
The problem? They were already six points behind Hearts. Even with a game in hand, their makeup match was against Glasgow Rangers—a formidable opponent.
Counting on that match to close the gap was highly unrealistic.
It was becoming clear that the coaching staff was shifting focus toward the Scottish Cup as an alternative route to Europe.
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Since Liam had first signed with Dundee United, Kate had barely visited the city.
She wasn't the most hands-on agent.
"I met with Robertson. He signed with me," Kate said, sipping her tea. "But he won't be able to trial at Dundee United until the end of the season."
Liam had expected as much.
Since Kate's only direct club connection was Dundee United, this was Robertson's best shot at turning pro. It was an irresistible opportunity for a young player trying to escape amateur football.
Robertson's Twitter posts revealed his frustrations—he was desperate to prove himself after years of setbacks.
Given his situation, even if he already had an agent, he would likely have dropped them to sign with Kate.
As for the season-end trial restriction, that was a rule specifically set by the Scottish FA to protect Queen's Park.
In most European leagues, amateur players like Robertson—who hadn't signed a professional contract—could join a professional team at any time.
Scotland generally followed the same rule, but Queen's Park was a unique case.
As Scotland's most famous amateur club, they had often seen their squads raided by professional teams mid-season.
They could start a season with 20+ players, only to barely field a starting XI by the end, as clubs poached their best talents.
To protect Queen's Park, the Scottish FA introduced a rule: even if a player was amateur, they couldn't leave until the season ended.
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"Liam, I've got some good news for you," Kate said, leaning forward.
"What's that?" Liam asked.
Before Kate could respond, Old John—his long-time mentor—beat him to it.
"If it's about sponsors, I already knew it was coming," Old John grumbled, barely looking up from his newspaper.
Kate smirked. "Nike Europe reached out. They're keeping an eye on you."
Old John snorted. "What took them so long? Nike is our club's kit sponsor. If anything, they've been slow."
Kate and Liam exchanged amused glances. Old John had a habit of talking as if they were all megastars already.
Realistically, Liam was still just a rising talent in Scottish football—a long way from being a global name.
Nike's interest was likely due to their partnership with Dundee United, rather than any urgent desire to sign him.
Still, it was a step in the right direction.
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"Here's the real news," Old John suddenly announced, throwing his newspaper into the air.
"I'm retiring at the end of the year!"
Liam and Kate were both caught off guard.
"So soon?" they asked in unison.
Old John was only 61—he could have worked for several more years.
"You're not even going to congratulate me?" Old John grinned. "I can finally do whatever I want."
After "celebrating" for a moment, he continued, "My knee's been bothering me for years. I can't keep up with the job anymore, so I applied for early retirement."
He spoke lightly, but Liam felt a pang of sadness.
In football, only a select few make it to the top. The vast majority—players, coaches, staff—grind away in obscurity, never reaching the heights they once dreamed of.
Old John had dedicated his life to the sport, but in the end, he was leaving it behind, knees aching and career unfulfilled.
That was the reality for most in football.
For some, the next generation was their only hope.
Liam stepped forward and gave Old John a hug.
"Congratulations, Old John."
And he meant it.
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