A drenched Jim Lauchlan gets to his feet on the back deck of the Seven Falcon.The wind is howling and he's just been knocked over by an ice-cold North Sea wave that has taken his breath away.It feels like he's just been hit by a heavyweight boxer.The water doesn't scare him.
But in that moment, the reality of being an off-shore rigger on a huge vessel dawns on him.And a new-found respect for the sea is born.Fast forward a few years.He's walking along the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro and there's a floodlit game of 11-a-side football taking place.There's even a referee and linesmen.Lauchlan is in awe at the standard on show.
His pals from the vessel know he used to be a pro.But when he's thrown a ball on the soft, golden sand, he can barely trap it.
They think he's been kidding them on about a 17-year career in Scotland and Ireland at clubs like Kilmarnock, Dundee United, Ross County and Dundee.
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