Gallagher says PFA prize high of career, not just Diamonds stint (2024)

Airdrie hero Calum Gallagher says winning the PFA Scotland League One Player of the Year in 2023 while at the club is the highlight of his career, never mind his time with the Diamonds.

The 29-year-old striker is moving on from the North Lanarkshire side this summer after a five-year stint in Monklands and has reflected on his time at New Broomfield ahead of joining League One side Arbroath.

There have been plenty of highs for Gal during his stint, from winning promotion to the Championship in 2022/23 and helping the team lift the SPFL Trust Trophy in March of this season.

But being voted by his peers as the best player in League One two seasons ago tops the lot for the former Rangers, St Mirren and Dumbarton forward as he reflects on his spell in North Lanarkshire.

Asked for the best moment from his time at Airdrie, he said: “The promotion was a big highlight obviously and that just encapsulated the trajectory of the club and the ambition of the club at the moment.

“I was probably the last remaining part from that bygone era, if you will. When I arrived in the hybrid set-up [in 2019], we were trying to get the club to the Championship.

“That was the aim, that was the goal and what the hybrid system was all about.

“There’s a few goals in there that were special. The winner at Falkirk in 2019 [pictured below, right] in my first season there, which kick-started the belief that we could challenge for League One and we didn’t need to fear anyone.

“Last season, with all the success, we had to win, the [PFA] player of the year was the big moment.

“Regardless of level, if you are ever the best player out of 300 people over a calendar year it is something to be really proud of and I am.

“In terms of personal achievements, it is definitely the highlight of my career. I was surprised to win it. I thought one of the Dunfermline boys would win it, particularly Kyle Benedictus, so it was really special.

“That was the peak of my time at Airdrie and that season I couldn’t really do anything wrong. It just capped off a great year for me and the club with us winning promotion.”

Gallagher now embarks on a new chapter of his career and will link up with his new team-mates at Gayfield next month for pre-season.

Arbroath have just been relegated to League One, 12 months on from almost earning themselves a fairytale promotion to the Premiership, and Gallagher will be tasked with finding the goals to fire the Red Lichties straight back to the Championship.

He has penned a two-year deal with Jim McIntyre’s side and revealed he has been welcomed with open arms already. He said: “We’ve had our pre-season plans issued and I am really excited to get started at Arbroath.

“All my chats with everyone there, there is a real community feel to it and I have had a couple of calls from people checking in on me before I meet up with everyone.

“It feels like a real ‘in it together’ mindset, which is so important at any level. It beds in that winning mentality early on and I am looking forward to getting going in pre-season and hopefully I will be back at my best next season.

“I think Arbroath are more than capable of going back up. League One is an incredibly tricky league. It is so competitive and gruelling.

“Now it is even wider spread than before with Inverness coming down. There will be a lot of travel and hard miles involved, but the core of the squad we have is encouraging. We’ve got to be ambitious and I think we will be right up there come the end of the season.”

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