A key figure in the Scottish invasion under Dave Jones, Gavin Rae has spent the last decade in Australia before returning to the UK recently. I grabbed a quick chat with Uncle Gav to also get the lowdown on a new Cardiff recruit.
You were born in Scotland, spent a chunk of your career in Wales and emigrated to Australia. Where are you at present and what are you up to these days?
When I finished playing in 2014, we emigrated to Australia, but we recently moved back to the UK at the start of May. My wife is Australian, so that was always the plan and we were there for 10 years. We’re now living in Manchester and came back for family and work. I coached semi-professionally in Australia for about six or seven years. I’ve got kids who were born in Cardiff who just turned 16 and both play football, so I’ve been really busy with them in Australia and couldn’t really coach for the last few years. In terms of my work life, I’ve totally pivoted away from football and I’ve been running a small digital consultancy for the last five or six years, but I’m still a mad football fan and watch as much as I can.
You joined Cardiff at a time when they had a keen eye on the Scottish market and it worked out very well for them with yourself, Ross McCormack, Kevin McNaughton, Chris Burke and Steve Thompson all tempted south. You were leaving a massive club in Rangers to join, so what was your situation at the time and what appealed about the move?
I had been at Rangers for about three and a half years and didn’t have a particularly good time with injuries. It was the only time in my career that I had fitness issues and I missed about two years with two different knee injuries. When I got fit, I then wasn’t playing as much as would have liked. In the time I was out, the club bought lots of different players and it was harder to get my place back. I was in and out under Walter Smith, but he was keen to keep me on, without any guarantees about playing time. I had been in the Scottish Premier League a long time and wanted a new challenge, so I spoke to a few clubs and settled on Cardiff because Dave Jones was very persuasive. I also knew a couple of the boys there, so there was a familiarity and it ticked all the boxes as a fresh challenge. It turned out to be a great decision.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn your first season, you played 55 games, a massive amount. How did you find the grind of the Championship? You appeared to not only take it in your stride, but also thrive.
There are huge teams in the Championship, so playing in all these different stadiums, I was just loving playing every week. Saturday, Tuesday, cup games, it was amazing. It was also a really good indication to me that I was fit and over my injuries. I was pretty much injury free before and after my time at Rangers.
I’m sure when you joined, you didn’t expect to be playing in a cup final! What are your memories of the occasion and the match itself?
Definitely not! I had played in a Scottish Cup final with Dundee, but an FA Cup final at Wembley is huge. It’s a massive occasion, but the game was pretty poor and the build up to the game was probably more enjoyable. The game didn’t go particularly well for either side, it was a bit sticky and we lost because of a mistake, but that I got to do it with some of my mates in that team was amazing. Neither side played particularly well and we could have won with a bit more quality on the day, but they had a phenomenal team and we certainly put up a good fight, just not quite good enough.
The following season, you played a lot again and with a chipped bone in your leg, which I imagine must be horrible, as an all-action central midfielder.
I think I did it in a cup game against Bournemouth early in the season. It was sore at the time, but wasn’t fractured enough that it needed an operation. It needed rest, so I took some time off to let it heal, but the manager was keen to get me back in and after about six weeks, it was pretty much fine.
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter leaving Cardiff, you returned to Scotland before moving to Australia. It’s hard to imagine a greater culture shock, in terms of the climate and the distance. The appeal is obvious, but that move must have been a huge undertaking.
It was, but I had been going back and forth to Australia since about 2002, every close season. I knew the place where we were going to be living and were preparing for it a long time before we took the plunge. It’s a great place to live, very far away and very hot, but there are lots of ex-pats and everyone loves football out there. It was a great place to bring up the children.
How did you find the transition into management with Hakoah Sydney City East FC and Rydalmere Lions? I know you were initially a player-manager, which is an increasingly old school concept!
I was an assistant to begin with and became manager while I was still playing. I played until I was 40 in a semi-pro division below the A-League. The last couple of years I was managing as well as playing and I found it OK. It was a lower level than I was used to playing, but I really enjoyed the transition into management, dealing with a budget and the board. It gave me a good grounding.
I had been meaning to reach out to you, but you suddenly became the talk of the town again recently! Talk to me about Alex.
My wife and his mum are sisters. Alexander was born in Scotland, but grew up in Australia and has been in the academy system for a while, with Manchester United and Manchester City. He’s had a phenomenal grounding and he’s highly talented. He’s moved on to Cardiff and I didn’t need to persuade him, as he was very keen after meeting the manager and visiting the club. He’s a lot more silky and technical than I was. Box to box, providing assists and scoring is what he’s all about. He’s a fantastic prospect.
Embed from Getty ImagesI imagine you’ve been monitoring his progress closely. Have you been able to offer him any guidance from your years in the midfield trenches?
His dad played football for a few clubs like Swindon and Burnley, so he’s got a really good grounding in football. I’m always there to provide support if its needed, but he’s got such a good head on his shoulders. He’s a really good professional and is keen to succeed, so he doesn’t need much advice from me to be honest. He’s a chilled-out kid and a top player.
Are you planning to visit Cardiff to watch any of his games anytime soon?
Definitely. Someone from Cardiff reached out recently with regards to the 125-year celebrations and there will be a lot of things going on, so I’m sure I’ll be down soon. I don’t think I’ve been back since I left, so I’m looking forward to it.