Craig Conway: St Johnstone winger on cup finals, a future in fashion & unconventional owners

Craig Conway is optimistic he still has another season or two left in him at the top level. If not, life after football holds no fears for the St Johnstone winger.

Having tried his hand as a hairdresser, painter and decorator, window cleaner and shop worker among other jobs in his younger days, the 35-year-old is nothing if not adaptable.

Now, partly inspired by the dodgy gear sported by some team-mates over the years, Conway is set to launch a clothing line. And lockdown has afforded him the chance to sharpen his skills honed in the family hairdressing hairdressing business.

“That’s something that has served me well over the years,” he says. “I used to cut a few of the lads’ hair at Blackburn and a couple at Cardiff.

“When I was part-time at Ayr United, I started working with my dad during the day. When I went full-time, I tailed it off to a couple of days. It’s just something my dad embedded in me – you have to work. I enjoyed it, so I’ve kept that going.”

Walking off into the sunset at the end of the season with the Scottish League Cup tucked under his arm wouldn’t be a bad way to go for the former Scotland international, whose side face Livingston in Sunday’s final at Hampden.

“I don’t feel as if my legs are going or I’m not fit enough – far from it,” Conway adds. “I want to keep playing, but sometimes that’s taken out of your hands.

“I’ve got a lot of other things going on if I don’t decide to carry on. I don’t feel I want to go into coaching but the agency side of football appeals to me.

“The clothing brand will be launching in the next couple of months. Me and one of my mates are involved in it. It’s sports-casual wear, just the stuff most footballers would wear day to day. I’ve seen a lot of dodgy outfits over the years.”

You won’t catch Conway pickup up a paintbrush any time soon, though.

“I hated every minute of painting and decorating. I started an apprenticeship and lasted about two weeks. I was painting a railing, but ended up painting a floor.”