Former Dons defender Kevin McNaughton finds new joy in football away from the Premier League spotlight

There's a memorable image of Kevin McNaughton from his time at Cardiff City being lifted high by a crowd of supporters, fists clenched in celebration after the Bluebirds' promotion to the Premier League sparked scenes of joy on the pitch.

At that moment, he couldn't have been happier, but fast forward 11 years to now and a quick look through the Facebook page of Junior side Dundee North End reveals more pictures of McNaughton celebrating.

This time it's not about Premier League wealth. There's no chance of visiting Old Trafford or Anfield. This is just a group of lads with beers in hand celebrating a club's first league title in nearly three decades, writes the Daily Record.

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McNaughton's facial expression and his radiant smile are exactly the same. Because fundamentally it's still football, isn't it? The thrill of victory.

And after everything the former Aberdeen and Scotland star has experienced, it's no surprise he's relishing every last moment of it. McNaughton withdrew from the game completely a few years ago.

Struggling to adjust to life after the end of a professional career, his mental health took a severe hit. The discomfort of a problematic hip made even the simplest tasks a daily struggle.

At one point there were fears for his safety when he disappeared after worrying online posts were noticed by loved ones. Now the 41-year-old takes each day as it comes.

As co-manager of Dundee North End with friend Lewis Toshney, he has found happiness once again. After undergoing hip surgery, he's regained his mobility and is now eyeing a future in coaching, having already clinched a Junior title as a manager.

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Speaking exclusively to MailSport, he shared: "I feel great within my own head now. I still need to manage myself, it's not something that has just gone away. And I can still get myself in a mess sometimes, if I get caught up in stuff.

"But overall it has been really good. Football has definitely helped it has been a release for me. I've actually enjoyed playing again as much as the coaching side. Getting a kick-about for an over-35s team has been brilliant. I missed it.

"I would try to stay involved by training but my hip was in bits. It was getting me down, not being able to move properly. Now I can take part with the boys to keep me ticking over.

"It feels like I've got a new lease of life and the hip replacement has definitely been a factor. Before I could barely get my shoe on in the morning.

"Although it's a physical thing it takes its toll mentally. I used to go for a run and it would swell up for two days afterwards. That gets to you after a while. Everything became a chore and it was becoming too much for me.

"For a while I had given football a total swerve. I was coaching at Dundee but due to circumstances I decided to leave football. I took a break from it because I just had too much going on in my family life.

"But I got the same buzz out of winning this title with Dundee North End as I did winning promotion with Cardiff to the Premier League. The exact same. It has been tough but I've loved every minute of it."

For McNaughton, staying active is crucial. Alongside his roles playing, training, and managing at North End, he holds a full-time position in patient transport at Ninewells Hospital.

He's also pursuing a college course for additional qualifications, and amidst all this, he celebrated tying the knot last year. The former Cardiff defender shared: "At Ninewells I work three or four-day weeks, which helps in terms of juggling the football.

"I used to love painting but I haven't had time to do that between football, the job and my kids. I've had to park that, it's one thing that has probably suffered. The college work is tough because I'm writing essays for the first time in 20 years.

"But I want to be busy. This year has totally disappeared, I can still remember the first game of the season like it was yesterday. I got married last year so it's been a busy 18 months. But it's been great.

"This season has woken me up to the fact that I could get back into professional football. On Tuesday I'm away for a week to Turkey and I just want to get drunk and watch the kids running about daft.

"Then I'll be back at it. Me and Tosher are signed up for next season, we're going to have another crack at it. We're in the qualifiers for the main Scottish Cup as we won the league so that's exciting. It's the first time the club has been involved in it."

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McNaughton, who enjoyed a 20-year playing career and earned four caps for Scotland, is now embarking on a managerial journey with ex-Dundee, Raith Rovers, and Dundee United defender Toshney. He draws inspiration from managers like ex- Aberdeen boss Ebbe Skovdahl and former Man United gaffer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

On his coaching philosophy, he emphasises enjoyment, saying: "We like having a laugh with the boys who come and enjoy themselves. But at the same time we've tried to do it really professionally.

"Both of us want to keep the same standards we had as pros. Management has been enjoyable. But the coaching side of it is my forte."

McNaughton also shares his approach to training: "The only training sessions I put on are the ones I enjoyed as a footballer. If there was something I felt I benefited from, I'll use it."

Reflecting on his past experiences, he adds" "I worked under a mixed bag of managers. I had spells under guys like Skovdahl and Solskjaer who are both Scandinavians. I enjoyed their approach because they pushed the boundaries in terms of athleticism.

"I remember Ebbe at Aberdeen bringing in Olympic-style weightlifting when I was 16 or 17. It's par for the course now but it was radical back then. I remember older guys at 32 saying, 'What's going on here?'

"But it helped me. I managed to get 500 games in my career so in terms of fitness that's what has seen me through. I'm paying the price now, right enough. My body falls to bits after an over-35s game! But I'm just loving being back out there."