There are certain ages you get to in football when folk think you are as craggy and as gnarled as the Old Man of Storr. “I’ve been tagged the ‘veteran’ keeper,” said Paul Gallacher, the positively ancient 36-year-old who will return to Partick Thistle’s first team for today’s match with Dundee as he helps to ease something of a custodian crisis at the Firhill club.

With both Tomas Cerny and Ryan Scully unavailable, Gallacher, the goalkeeping coach with Alan Archibald’s team, will get a rare opportunity to put into practice what he preaches. Of course, the former Scotland keeper is not ready to hang up the gloves just yet. It’s just most people have assumed he’s already kicking back with comfy cardigans, a nice pair of baffies and a poke of Werther’s Original. “Everybody thinks I’m retired and they’ve plucked me out of an old folks’ home,” he added with a wry smile.

Footballing longevity runs in the family. Gallacher’s sprightly dad, Jim, was still flinging himself about between the posts at the age of 41 as he racked up over 600 appearances for Clydebank during a career that spanned four decades. There are still a few more years left in Gallacher junior too. He may be moving into the next chapter of his sporting life with coaching but a chance to return to the cut-and-thrust of frontline action again is something he is relishing. He even used the cliché before the scribes had committed it to paper. “I have to grab it with both hands,” said Gallacher, which handily enough is the first line out of the goalkeeping coaching manual. “I still feel good fitness wise and I train every day but the gaffer sees me more as a coach which is fine. But I train like I could be called upon so I need to keep prepared. Of course I want to play week in week out but to coach at the highest level is good. I want to go into that. Management is too much pressure for me but coaching is a great environment and it’s great combining both. I love coaching and that’s what I want to do”

With first choice keeper Cerny out injured and Scully suspended after being sent off during the 4-0 defeat to Hearts last weekend, Gallacher has some sympathy for the two players ahead of him in the pecking order even though the situation has opened the door of opportunity.

“It’s disappointing for both of them,” conceded Gallacher. “I think Tomas has probably been our best player this season. That’s not down to my coaching, he’s just a talented keeper. He’s done very well and even this early in the season he’s a candidate for Player of the Year for the club. Ryan came in and was just eager to impress and I think that was part of the sending off. He was trying to win the ball and he was maybe a bit naïve. He’s paid the price but it opens up the door for me to come in. It would be great to come in, perform well and we win the game but it will be tough for us. I’m delighted just to get a game, regardless of the situation. After last week’s defeat, the boys are champing at the bit to put it right.”

In a professional career spanning almost 20 years, the well-travelled Gallacher has plenty of experience to draw on as he prepares for his first appearance of the season but he will still get that tingle of nervous anticipation.

“Of course there are nerves,” he said. “You have to be nervous though. It’s the hunger and desire that leads to that. I’ve not played football this year at all. It will be hard so I need to use my experience and hopefully the guys in front of me perform.”

The big test will come this afternoon when the Dundee strikers start bearing down on goal. It can’t be any worse than a pre-match press conference with a handful of sombre-faced scribblers, mind you. “I’m s****ing myself now talking to you lot,” he chuckled.