How Raith Rovers star George Oakley is indebted to gaffer Dougie Imrie in his career path
Having played alongside and been coached by Dougie Imrie at Hamilton Accies in season 2019-2020 before working under him again for a season at Greenock Morton in 2023-2024 while Imrie was gaffer, Raith Rovers striker George Oakley has admitted just how vital his current Stark’s Park gaffer has been for his overall career.
English forward Oakley, 30 – who since 2020 has also had spells at Bulgarian outfit Pirin Blagoevgrad, Kilmarnock, Woking, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ayr United, was asked by the Fife Free Press just how big a factor Imrie was in his decision to join Raith on a two-year contract this summer after leaving William Hill Championship rivals The Honest Men where he had played for the previous two seasons.
The Tooting-born star, who has netted three times in eight appearances for Rovers this season, replied: “Massive. I've obviously worked with the gaffer before.
"I played with him at Hamilton when I was only a kid and he was in the last part of his career (Imrie retired from playing in summer 2019) and then he coached me for a year at Hamilton. So, I knew him well there.
"And then obviously I went away, had a bit of a career. I remember I was in a bit of a middle ground in my career.
"I didn't know what I was doing sort of thing. And he gave me the opportunity to go and come and enjoy my football again and that's what I went and did.
"Obviously, we've been very close ever since, with him following my career and me following him and his results in his career.
"So I take my hat off to him and Andy (Raith assistant gaffer Andy Millen who also worked alongside Imrie while Oakley played at Morton).
"Coming back together, they're a big part of why I came here as well, just to get to enjoying football again because that's the main thing.
"If you enjoy football, your confidence comes and you never know what can happen. So, yeah, it's nice. I'm enjoying it.”
Having known Imrie for over seven years, Oakley was also asked the qualities the 43-year-old has which has seen him inspire a title bid this campaign, with the Stark’s Parkers currently second on 21 points from 11 matches, two points behind leaders Stenhousemuir having played a game more.
"I think he's just personable,” Oakley said. “He's there for you if you need to talk, he gives you his ear when you need it, he puts his arm around you when you need it.
"I think it's because he's still a young coach that he understands a lot having come freshly out of playing. He's worked with a few good people as well before and obviously had his own manager's job.
"He just gets the best out of the players. You've got to look at the players he had when I was at Morton - Calvin Miller, Robbie Muirhead, myself, Jack Baird.
"All these boys were playing there. We all went on, stepped up again and added a little bit more to our careers.
"As you've seen, now me and Bairdy are back here under him as we’d enjoyed it before.
"The main thing for us is that he's a good man manager.”