FROM Dingwall to Plymouth sounds like an ideal working title for a book on travels the length and breadth of the British football map.

For Graham Carey, it was the very journey he made when leaving the Scottish game seven years ago - before thriving for three seasons in Bulgaria for good measure.

The wanderer has returned, to Perth, and enjoys being back in the division where he starred for St Mirren and Ross County.

But Carey admits that the expeditions further afield were the making of him.

Carey won promotion to League One with Plymouth under Derek Adams, played against boyhood club Liverpool at Anfield, scored 49 goals in 197 games over four years and twice claimed Player of the Year honours.

His conversion to ‘No 10’ by Adams put that lethal left foot to greater use than free-kick situations.

With CSKA he netted in a Sofia derby against Levski and won the Bulgarian Cup in 2021.

The highlight of a Europa Conference League campaign was scoring against Jose Mourinho’s Roma in the Olympic Stadium.

After confessing to ‘wasted years’ in his early 20s, the 33-year-old says: “After enjoying Bulgaria, I wished I’d gone abroad when I was a bit younger.

“We felt at home in Plymouth but I’d always wanted to try and play abroad and it was probably my last chance.

“The CSKA owner wanted more players from Britain to build the profile of the club. His son went to university in Edinburgh and watched me play for Plymouth.

“He brought me, Tony Watt and Viv Solomon. Unfortunately, Tony wanted to come back a bit earlier than me.

“I went on to play in Europe against some really good teams. We’d coaches from Serbia, Croatia and Spain so it was a good mix, a great experience.

“My family moved back after the first year because my son was starting school.

“Then last winter my wife was unwell but nothing really came up so I decided to finish the season and come back for this one.

“My wife is good now and recovering so it’s good being back with the family, I’ve been away too long.”

Callum Davidson’s persistence paid off. The St Johnstone manager made two unsuccessful pitches to Carey before signing the Irishman on a two-year deal.

“When I decided to come home this summer, I don’t think I could say ‘no’ to him again,” admitted Carey.

“As a person, he’s quite honest and open. That’s what I like in managers.

“I just got a good vibe. It was the right decision. The way he wants to play kind of suited me, he wanted to bring in some experience and we can only help the younger lads.

“We’ve had one of the tougher starts; we need to create a bit more, be a lot calmer in the final third and take our chances.”

After losing to Hibernian, Aberdeen and Rangers - with a last gasp win at Motherwell the highlight - the searching early schedule sets Saints a Tynecastle test.

Carey has been threatening one of his long-range or set piece specials and was narrowly denied by a brilliant Kelle Roos save against Aberdeen.

“I've not scored as many lately which is annoying,” said the former Celtic prospect.

“It’s down to hours and hours of set piece practice and luckily, I’ve got to a decent standard where I can help the team.

“(Shunsuke) Nakamura was the most accurate I’ve seen. He used to have his interpreter in goal after training and put them top corner all the time.

“Growing up watching him, he was probably the best player in the league but spent hours practising.

“It was good for me to see that effort he put in. All these top players don't get there by accident.”