Kurtis has no regrets!

STRIKER Kurtis Guthrie admits he was ready to call it a day on his playing career but after Queen of the South got in touch he changed his mind.

The veteran forward penned a deal with the Doonhamers during the close season and he has immediately got off the mark for his new side.

Guthrie netted the opener in a 4-0 demolition job against Edinburgh City with a sublime back-heeled finish.

And the 32-year-old admitted he’s delighted he decided to extend his career.

Guthrie said: “I had stepped away from the game and was happy to call it a day.

“My wife is from Scotland and wanted to stay up here a bit longer, it just coincided with the club getting in contact and they persuaded me to step out of the dark and back into the light for another time.

“The manager and project here is good, theres really good foundations here and it’s nice to be part of a growing organisation which is definitely going in the right direction.

“I’m 32 now and I didn’t feel like I was going to eclipse what I’ve already done.

“The game is progressively becoming a young man’s game. It was more about stepping out in my own terms and taking my interests elsewhere, that doesn’t mean I don’t love football but it was more me thinking more logically.

“But the way Queens do everything here, it’s perfect for the stage that I’m at in my career. It just seemed to be the perfect fit at the perfect time.

“I can now call myself a veteran. It’s all about being a positive influence to the young boys in the squad and help them along their journey.

“When you get to the stage of your career that I’m at, it’s important you can teach the younger players the right things.”

Guthrie – who suffered a neck injury against Edinburgh City and was brought off at half time for precaution – is pals with fellow Doonhamer Brennan Dickenson and he admits he played a role in him coming to the club.

He added: “I spoke to Brennan and had a long conversation. He highlighted all the positives at the club and what they are trying to do. After a few conversations with the manager and the board it became evident that I still wanted to play and be a part of the club’s journey. It’s been a joy so far.”

On scoring on his debut, Guthrie said: “It’s nice to hit the ground running followed by the team getting the win.

“You always want to make a positive impact when you join any club. I’ve not played too many minutes during pre-season so to score and get another 45 minutes under my belt is good for me.

“At the moment it’s about getting my body right and my lungs up to speed.

“The way we play benefits me so I couldn’t ask for a better start.

“In a way this has been the toughest pre-season for myself. It’s getting my body going again and not doing too much too soon.

“The key thing is to get the balance right and we’re doing that.”

Meanwhile, skipper Matty Douglas made a surprise return to the starting line up. The defender who has missed a large chunk of pre-season due to a broken wrist admitted he wasn’t expecting to lead the team out on Tuesday night.

However, Douglas didn’t miss a beat and set up Guthrie for Queens’ opener.