BY IAIN COLLIN – @CCP_sport
DEREK Lyle racked up a century of goals for Queen of the South last weekend and has no intentions of stopping there.
But the experienced striker has this week been thinking about what will happen when he hangs up his boots, as he studies for his coaching badges.
The 35-year-old notched his 100th goal for Queens when he grabbed the winner in the 1-0 win over former club Dunfermline.
He admits finally reaching the milestone has been a relief after receiving regular reminders from fans and team-mates that he was so close.
And, whilst he is still fully focused on his next target on the pitch, the former Dundee and Hamilton Accies marksman has also been contemplating his future.
Lyle told Capital City Press: “I’ve been doing by B licence this week and I must admit it’s been difficult.
“To be honest, at the start of my career, coaching isn’t something I thought I would want to get into and I’ve got a pub away from the game.
“But anything could happen with that and I like the football environment, so I’m keen to keep my options open.
“Nothing can happen in terms of coaching if I’ve not got my badges.
Eye-opener
“It’s been a wee bit of an eye-opener, I must say, but I’ve enjoyed it on the whole and it lets me see things from the other side.”
Queens will on Saturday afternoon seek to keep their sparkling early-season form going in the IRN-BRU Cup against Stenhousemuir, who they beat 1-0 in the Betfred Cup last month.
Gavin Skelton’s outfit are second-top in the Championship after three wins and a draw and are in the quarter-finals of the League Cup after stunning Hibernian with a 3-1 victory at Easter Road.
And Lyle is desperate to make it a hat-trick of Challenge Cup triumphs after lifting the trophy with Queens in 2002 and 2013.
He added: “The gaffer has emphasised to us that it’s hard to win any cup, and it’s a massive achievement if you can, so everybody is taking it really seriously.
“I’ve won this tournament twice before with Queens and I would love a chance to win it again.”
