Gala Fairydean Rovers midfielder Danny Galbraith a winner at double at club award night

The 32-year-old was named as both the Scottish Lowland Football League club’s player of the year and their players’ player of the year too.

Quinn Mitchell was picked as young player of the year and fellow defender Ciaran Greene as players’ young player of the year.

The award for top goal-scorer went to midfielder Ciaren Chalmers.

Galashiels-born Galbraith’s prize presentation double follows the ex-Heart of Midlothian and Manchester United youth player agreeing a contract extension keeping him at player-manager Martin Scott’s side for another year.

Galbraith returned to Netherdale for a second spell last summer after an injury-blighted year with fifth-tier rivals Bo’ness United.

He was previously at the club from 2019 to 2021 after stints at the likes of FC Edinburgh, York City, Gillingham, Limerick and Hibernian.

Galbraith is looking forward to another year at his home-town club, saying: “I’m absolutely delighted, to be honest.

“It was a fairly straightforward decision. I grew up there and my family are there. It means a lot to me to play for my local team and, having spent a year away, I was delighted to go back last summer, and, thankfully, this year’s been everything I hoped it would be and more once you factor in winning the East of Scotland Cup, which was obviously a huge highlight.

“I was fortunate enough to have a number of opportunities, but looking at it from a football perspective, we play the right way. I enjoy it and I feel like I can get the best out of myself playing in the environment we have here but, more importantly than that for me, my grandad and dad can come along to games and I can bring my kids down to see them and the games.

“That’s something you can’t put a value on and it’s more important than getting extra money elsewhere or whatever. For me, everything fits and you realise the grass isn’t always greener.

“I appreciate what I have and my family life and this works for me.”

Saturday’s award night followed a Lowland League Cup first-round exit at home to Caledonian Braves.

Liam Craig put the Motherwell side in front five minutes in but Galbraith equalised for the hosts from the penalty spot on 14 minutes.

Zac Butterworth restored Braves’ advantage on 64 minutes and looked to have won it for them in normal time until a 94th-minute Aidan Cassidy equaliser took the game to a penalty shootout won 5-4 by the visitors, bringing Gala’s season to a close and earning visiting manager Ricky Waddell’s side a quarter-final at home to Bo’ness this coming Saturday.

Rovers ended their tenth and latest league campaign in 12th place, with 49 points from 36 fixtures, that position in the standings being one higher than last season and their tally of points being nine better than their previous highest total of 40, set in 2017.

Their highest-ever finish was sixth in 2021, on 22 points, after a season curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic.