nottscountyfc.co.uk  this week caught up with popular former striker Gary McSwegan to reflect on his time with the Magpies back in the early 1990s.

He joined County from Glasgow Rangers in 1993 for £400,000 and scored 25 goals in 80 appearances prior to his departure to Dundee United in September in October 1995.

Gary is still plying his trade in the Scottish First Division with Clyde, and he also explains to us his aspirations to be a Manager in the future.

Thanks for talking to nottscountyfc.co.uk Gary, we really appreciate it. First off was it a huge wrench to leave Rangers given the size of club they were - and still are - and that they had won the League & Cup the previous season?

"It was a little bit of a wrench to leave Rangers. They were the club I supported as a boy and gave me my first professional contract, but I think reality slowly kicked in that my chances were going to be limited at Ibrox. Every player in front of me in the pecking order for a striker's spot was an International player and after winning the treble the year before I joined Notts they were going out and signing more Internationals to strengthen the squad. From that point I knew I had to take it upon myself to go and further my career and better my game by moving on to play first team football and I have no regrets by doing that."

You turned down a move to Meadow Lane the previous March after meeting the directors at Newcastle and given the fact you scored the goal to win the League for Rangers and also claimed a Scottish Cup Final winner's medal it was the right decision?

"I had spoken to Notts County a few months before the end of the 1992/93 season, but I was in the Rangers team for the Cup Final that clinched the treble and I also scored a few goals in the League so I was happy I stayed by that point of view. I was looking for a fresh challenge and a lot of players who I grew up with at Rangers were playing for the first-team at their respective clubs and getting plenty of experience. I wanted to do that as well, especially when I was playing one game and then missing the next three at Rangers. It was hard to develop my career and I wanted to become a first-team player at a team."

Mick Walker came back in for you during the summer of 1993; it must have been flattering that Notts didn't give up bringing you to Nottingham and wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Mick Walker approached me with a view to signing for 1993/94 when we first spoke, and with Rangers in Europe it was a no-brainer to stay until the end of the season and then move on. Mick and Russell Slade (Assistant Manager) were terrific with me; they were fantastic guys and I don't have a bad word to say about either of them and they made my time at Notts County very enjoyable."

What made you decide Meadow Lane was the place for you?

"I came down to see the stadium; and it was fantastic. The draw for me was playing in England and also playing first-team football alongside a lot of good players who I knew about. It was a fresh challenge and I spoke to Mark Hateley and Andy Goram who told me Nottingham was a lovely city and that I would enjoy my time there. It didn't take much convincing to be honest anyway; I'm glad I made the move."

You were a big money signing at the age of 22 and there was a great deal of expectancy placed on your shoulders. Did you feel any pressure when you first arrived?

"I felt a bit of expectation, but being that young think I didn't take too much notice. Perhaps I was a little naive back then. I was really up for it and wanted to test myself again. I played a few games early on, I didn't score and then I did my hamstring. I was quite upset about that early on because I wanted to do well, but when I got off the mark I did it in some style with a hat-trick against Derby and I was delighted."

Like you said you had to wait until the end of September to open your Notts account - but a hat-trick against Derby wasn't a bad way to start was it?

"It took a wee bit of pressure off me and made me settle in a bit more, and it got me on-side with the supporters and strike up a relationship with them. I could have had four goals that day, but I hit the post with a header. It was the one that got away! It was really nice because it meant a lot of supporters. Coming from another country I didn't realise it at the time."

Do you still have the matchball from that game?

"I've still got the matchball yes, it's either upstairs somewhere or I gave it to my Mum - but one way or another it's still in our family."

You then got on a run of scoring in your next two games against Leicester City and Bristol City; did you feel settled at that point?

"I felt very settled by that stage yes. It was hard moving countries and for the first six weeks I was in digs at Don Masson's hotel, The Gallery. Don and Brenda looked after me and my fiancée Pauline and once we got the house and my injuries cleared I was on a good run of form and I felt really settled."

Gary McSwegan Is Welcomed To Notts By Dean Thomas

You then had another spell out of the team after scoring a brace against Crystal Palace - and by that stage you had formed a good partnership with Gary Lund, who started every game that season. How was he to play alongside and how did you complement each other?

"I think I had a bit more pace than Lundy for a start! Lundy was fast upstairs and a very good player to play alongside. He was an unsung hero in my eyes. He didn't celebrate goals or anything like that; he would just get on with his job. I was fortunate to play alongside him as well as Tony Agana and Paul Devlin who were also terrific players."

At the start of February you returned from a two game absence by scoring the opener in the 2-1 win against Nottingham Forest at Meadow Lane - that must have been special in a local derby of that magnitude.

"It was great to play in. The game was later in the season so I had more of an idea of what the game meant to the fans by that time, and going into the game we knew it would be special. The whole place was buzzing and it was one of the few occasions when I was at Notts the ground was full. That was a shame because when the ground was full the atmosphere was superb. It was great to score that day, especially before then I'd had a spell out the team. I could have had a few more goals that day, I had one saved by Mark Crossley and hit the post as well I think. In the end I remember we deserved the win that day and it was a great day for our fans."

By then Notts were building some momentum and in the playoff spots. Did the squad believe the Premier League was in sight at that stage?

"There was definitely a stage as we got on a run by April time that we could make the Premier League. If we had got in the playoffs there is no doubt in my mind we would have been promoted. We would have been the favourites because of our form and we had beaten a lot of the teams in the top six that season. It wasn't to be in the end and we let ourselves down in the last few games."

At home you were unbeatable pretty much - as a squad you must have loved playing at Meadow Lane.

"Maybe teams didn't like to come to Meadow Lane, but we loved it. Sometimes in football you get spells like that in football. If we had got just a few more points on the road we would have been right up there in the top six."

Four draws and two defeats in the last six games killed off any hopes of the playoffs. That must have been frustrating because at one stage you were so, so close.

"I remember we got a 1-1 draw at the Baseball Ground against Derby. We scored an own goal in the last minute which cost us big time and killed us. You look at the teams in the League that year; we did well to finish seventh. It was a pity after that year that we lost a few players and we never really strengthened the team, we went backwards really and never hit that form again."

But you got the chance to play at Wembley that season - so there were some positives to draw from the disappointment. That must have been a dream to play at Wembley.

"It was great to play at Wembley. We got beat by Brescia who had a very good team with players such as Georgie Hadji, and it was a wonderful experience. As a Scotman coming south it was a dream to play there and a major achievement. The competition wasn't regarded that highly, but as players we wanted to do well in every game we played and showed back then we were a 'Cup Side' more than anything. We went to some great places like Ancona and won and also played Leece on a few occasions and did well against them too. It was a lovely experience, especially for teams like ourselves who won't ever get to Europe. It wasn't great money-making for the clubs, but it gave a club like Notts County a chance to experience what it was like to be in Europe."

Were you happy with the total of 17 goals in your first season?

"It is hard to say I was unhappy with 17 goals. I had a few injuries and was stop-start which was so frustrating. If I had avoided those and had a settled run in the team I think I would have got more. That's all in the past now though. In my second season I got nine goals and that was another injury-plagued season and the squad wasn't as good as the previous year."

How big was the loss of Mark Draper in midfield - he scored an awful lot of goals from midfield? Do you think at the time he would have been missed so much?

"Mark was a great loss. It was hard to replace someone like him, and in all honesty we didn't replace him. He went on to have a great career and you can't argue with that. We also lost other players who were steady professionals too and we never really replaced them. We found it hard to deal with."

A win, draw and defeat from the first three games of the season weren't too bad and after a run of three straight losses Mick Walker left. Russell Slade replaced him and results didn't improve greatly - and by that stage you were injured with a bad hamstring and you must have been frustrated you couldn't help the team?

"No-one was ever really settled after Mick's sacking and it is hard to do well when all that happens behind the scenes. We didn't have good results that season, but we beat Tottenham 3-0 in the Coca-Cola Cup which showed we were a match for Premier League teams on our day. They played their full-strength team and although they went down to ten men that night we would have beaten them with eleven men we were that good. We were fired up for it and performed very well. We also drew with Man City at Meadow Lane in the FA Cup and forced a replay out of them and did well at Maine Road in the replay. The good teams are the ones that can keep a run going, but we blew hot and cold that year. It was a frustrating year for me as well and I never really got a run of four or five games on the bounce."

Gary Is Welcomed By Russ Slade & Bob Catlin

After a horrendous run of form over Christmas Russell Slade was replaced by Howard Kendall. An experienced manager like Howard must have been a welcome addition and the team had a brief revival - you scored in a 3-0 win against Burnley - but by then your hamstring was troubling you again.

"I enjoyed working with Howard Kendall. He had an awful lot of experience and it was great to learn off him. He was the first one out there on the training ground with his shorts on and sleeves rolled up. It was things like that I remember. When he spoke everyone listened where as with Mick and Russell the lads felt they were on a level with them rather than Howard who everyone looked up to for what he had achieved. I certainly looked up to him."

You had two comebacks which were failed - did you feel you were being rushed back too early because of the desperate position the team found themselves in?

"It is funny, both my hamstrings were repeatedly going and it was Howard who sent me to Lilleshall for two weeks to get them sorted and get people working on them. I felt a benefit from the constant work that I had on my hamstrings and I still abide by some of the things I was taught them."

The campaign ended in relegation - no doubt you're lowest point at Meadow Lane?

"To get relegated was such a low point, it was so frustrating. The thing that got to me was missing so many games, and when I did get back in we picked up a bit but by then it was far too late. It wasn't enough and if we had the run earlier we could have been ok. We won the Anglo-Italian Cup that year, but that meant little because we got relegated."

Colin Murphy and Steve Thompson arrived in the summer as a Management duo and after four sub appearances at the start of the season you left to join Dundee United. How did that come about?

"The new Manager came in and he made it clear from the start he didn't really want me there. I just wanted to play and he had ideas of football he wanted to adopt they didn't include me. At the time I was getting married and the chance came to go back to Scotland and I signed for Dundee United. Everything worked out well from there."

What was your favourite goal you scored during your time at Notts? You scored some great goals.

"My favourite was the one against Forest. I didn't score many spectacular goals really; a lot of them were one-touch finishes in the box and things like that. The goal was so important and the fans had been waiting a long time to beat Forest so that was nice."

Gary Heads Home Against Spurs In 94

How do you look back on your time at Meadow Lane? Do you still speak to anyone from your time at Notts?

"Oh, with a lot of good memories and I have a good affection with the club. The fans were great, they were very fair with me especially when I wasn't playing well they stuck by me. I don't see a lot of the lads but bumped into a few of them in Hong Kong last summer - Paul Devlin, Dean Thomas and Andy Legg. They've hardly changed, although they're all a bit heavier now! You lose touch with people over the years which is sad, so it's always nice to catch up."

Do you still look out for Notts' results?

"I still look out for County's results on a Saturday when they come through to see how they are doing. It is a wee bit sad to think they were in the First Division when I arrived and now they are in the Third Division."

Michael Johnson is still here, what was he like as a player and team-mate? Are you surprised he is still around?

"He's not still playing is he?! Is he still fast? I remember he was a promising boy who was great in the dressing room and an infectious character. He used to get a lot of stick off the other boys in the dressing room like Tony Agana and Charlie Palmer. He would always take it on the chin and used to get everyone going. One thing was for sure, he was never down. It's a shocker to hear he's going into coaching now! He's had a great career and the young lads will be able to learn plenty off him."

What are you doing nowadays? You're still playing at 38 for Clyde, and also trying your hand at coaching.

"I'm still enjoying it and playing at Clyde, that's right. I was doing a bit of coaching at Inverness with their Under 19s last year and I've done all my badges. I know I can't play forever. I'm looking to get into the coaching side of things and I would like to get into management one day. I'm enjoying playing just now but I know age catches up with you eventually and you have to prepare for the future. I'm not planning to retire at the end of the season although I've not really thought about it. I've only missed three weeks this season because of injury. I've always said I would play for as long as I could unless a great offer for coaching came along. The ultimate goal is management and I've already been sending my CV out up here. That's the route I want to take and I suppose it is waiting to see if someone will take a chance on me. "

You're settled in Scotland again, do you want to remain north of the border or would you like to have a crack at coaching or management in England?

"I'll always consider England, especially when you see boys who I've played with like Owen Coyle at Burnley, Billy Davies at Preston, Derby and now Forest and a few others."