Quick quiz question: Which Scottish player has scored the most Premiership goals so far this season?
Clue one. He’s in third spot in the overall chart with 11, behind Ross County’s Regan Charles-Cook and Alfredo Morelos at Rangers.
Clue two: He had to be replaced during a game against Hibs back in September after suffering a diabetic seizure.
Clue three: He admits he could walk down Buchanan Street and nobody would bat an eye-lid.
Step forward Livingston’s Bruce Anderson.
Premiership Player of the Month for February and a boy from Banff who insists he’s not bothered by the Mr Anonymous tag so long as the goals keep flowing.
He said: “My philosophy is simple, it’s to keep my head down and continue to do what I love – and that’s scoring goals.
“I’ve never much cared about being recognised in the street or down my local. Bruce who?
“I’ll let my goals gain recognition for my team-mates and club but I’ve never craved personal attention.
“Hopefully by the end of the season my name will be up in lights at the top of the scoring charts and more people will know me and talk about me in a positive way.
“But the only people I want to impress are my team-mates, the coaches and manager David Martindale.
“As long as they appreciate what I do then I’m happy.
“I’ve always said I want to play at the highest level possible and
getting recognition for your goals is the right way to go about it.
“Modern football requires you to have more to your game than just scoring though.
“I am pushing myself to get better and believe the sky’s the limit.”
Injury ruled Anderson out of yesterday’s trip to Tynecastle and he was badly missed as the Lions lost against Hearts.
He could face six weeks on the sidelines but Anderson will be hoping he can return before the end of the season to cap what has been an amazing campaign,.
The 23-year-old arrived in West Lothian after over a decade at Aberdeen.
But it was a loan spell at Hamilton that became a proving ground for a player who believes the secret behind his success has been trying to become the hardest-working player in the country.
He said: “When the boys get a day off during the week I still come in and get some work done.
“I don’t think I’ve had a single day off this season. I come in and have one-to-one sessions with the gaffer and it has made a huge difference.
“Any spare time I get I try to work on aspects of my game.
“The rewards are clear. If you watch the Dundee game, when I scored two goals, it was all down to things I’d worked on in training with the gaffer that week. When you see these things coming off it only makes you more determined to work harder.
“The gaffer will tell you he wasn’t a bad player in his day and, to be fair, he’s much better than I thought he was. Another huge factor is the atmosphere in the dressing room.
“I know people have spoken about our bond but it is special and the main reason why I love it here.
“There are no egos, it’s all geared towards the collective and the team.
“The message is that it’s never about the individual. That comes from the management and the coaching staff right down to every member of the squad. It’s a tight-knit group and just a happy place.”
Anderson’s latest injury is another cruel blow after he suffered a diabetic fit against Hibs earlier in the campaign.
He admits part of his drive and ambition is to become an inspiration to other diabetics by proving anything is possible after fearing his own career was over before it started.
He said: “I was diagnosed when I was 16 and just about to join Aberdeen on a full-time deal.
“Those first six months were the most difficult of my career. When I was diagnosed I thought I was done and football was over for me.
“Thankfully I had good people around me. I was told there should be no reason why I can’t have a career in sport.
“My diet changed and I have to look after my body but I have my condition all under control and it doesn’t really affect me.
“My pal Scott Allan has been a great help. He has spoken to me about his own diabetes and he’s still doing well at Hibs.
“I want young kids who have the same diagnosis to see what I’ve done and what they can achieve.
“If I can inspire them and they can follow my dream then that would mean everything to me.
“Even if I provide a nugget of hope I’ll be happy.”
Despite sidestepping away from committing himself as a fully-fledged Aberdeen fan, Anderson does admit to being a supporter and having nothing but gratitude for former Dons dugout duo Derek McInnes and Tony Docherty.
But he admits the time was right to move away from his comfort blanket at Pittodrie.
He said: “I was at Aberdeen for 11 years. I grew up going to Aberdeen games and a lot of my family are fans but leaving Pittodrie last
summer wasn’t a big problem.
“As soon as I heard there was an interest from Livingston then there was only place I wanted to move to and it’s working out brilliantly.
“Moving on loan to Hamilton last season forced me to open my eyes.
“It showed me so much about playing at a first-team level and being focused on taking a step
forward in my career.
“I had to go to Accies and prove that I was good enough to play at this level.
“I could have gone back to Aberdeen and been comfortable and remained at home with my family – but I needed to get away and keep improving.
“My career had stalled a bit at Aberdeen and I wasn’t getting the game time I needed.
“So it wasn’t a hard decision to leave as I needed to go out and play more games.
“I’m just thankful for being given the chance to do that here.
“I’ll always be grateful to Derek and Doc for the influence they’ve been on me over the years.
“It was Derek who gave me my Aberdeen debut and the two of them were brilliant with me.
“Doc was very good as he’d take me for shooting practice all the time so I won’t forget the period in my career spent with the both of them.”
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