PERS. INFORMATION

CLUB HISTORY

Club	Years
Cowdenbeath FC	Youth
Queen of the South FC	Youth
Hawick Royal Albert FC	2016 – 2017 (on loan)
Annan Athletic FC	2017 – 2020
Stranraer FC	2020 – 2022
Albion Rovers FC	2022 – 2023
The Spartans FC	2023 –

INTERVIEW

Introduce yourself…

I’m Ayrton Sonkur and I currently play in league 2 for The Spartans. I’ve been in professional football for over 10 years now playing over 250 games for a number of clubs in the SPFL.

What were the biggest challenges you faced coming up as a centre-back, and how did you overcome them?

I think there’s lots of challenges for any young player trying to build a career in the game.

I think notable for me was the physical aspects. I was slim and wasn’t the quickest as I grew in height in my late teens so I had to put in a lot of extra work to improve that side of things. I just made sure I put in the hours in the gym and after training consistently to better these things.

And generally I just tried to soak up as much knowledge from the older pros and coaches as possible to try and improve and still do to this day.

How do you balance the demands of competitive football with rest, recovery and maintaining your mindset off the pitch?

I think I’ve learned to switch off from football when I need to. You have to make time to relax, spend time with family and friends and focus on other aspects of your life too. Getting a balance in life is important.

You were born in Melrose, Scotland. Can you tell us how you first got into football and what club(s) you played for as a youngster before turning senior?

I fell in love with football at a very young age, probably like most boys do, and from then I was just obsessed with it. My Dad is a huge football fan so it was probably a natural thing to happen.

I grew up in Hawick and played locally through my younger years, then started playing for Tynecastle Boys Club in Edinburgh at 11. I went on to play for Livingston’s youth team then, after a brief spell at Cowdenbeath, spent a year at QOS before leaving school to sign full time there.

You spent a meaningful period in the Queen of the South youth set-up. What first attracted you to the club and how did you end up joining their youth academy? 

I think the club had a really well organised youth set up and there was a pathway into first team football at, what was at the time, a Championship club.

I’d had a bad injury towards the end of my time at Livingston and after my recovery and getting some football under my belt again in Cowdenbeath’s youth team I wanted to give myself the opportunity to play full time once I’d finished the next school year. The opportunity to go to QOS came up and I guess I took it.

Transfers can be big transitions: when you moved from Queen of the South to Annan Athletic FC (or later to Stranraer FC). What motivated that move and how did you settle into your new club environment?  

My contract was up at QOS and wasn’t being renewed so my main focus was to continue playing in the SPFL. The opportunity came to sign for Annan and I went for it.

It was challenging. I found myself down the pecking order as a young centre back with very good players playing ahead of me. I just kept my head down, worked very hard and trusted I make the most of any opportunity to perform well.

We’ve seen you score important goals (for example, a headed goal vs Clyde FC). How do you balance your defensive duties with being a threat on set pieces too?  

First and foremost my main focus on any match day is defending well and keeping clean sheets. Adding goals from set pieces is a huge part of the game so it’s something I always want to chip in with. I’m always looking to add more goals to my game so hopefully I can do that this season.

In your transfer to Spartans in the summer of 2023 (from Albion Rovers FC) what were the deciding factors? What appealed to you about Spartans and what did you hope to achieve?  

I think from speaking to the manager and speaking to some players who I knew personally, it became clear the club was looking to continue to progress forward and improve. As a newly promoted club just starting their journey in the SPFL, I wanted to be a part of it and contribute to trying to take the club to new heights.

Was there a transfer that you regret or that didn’t work out as expected, and what did you learn from that experience?

I don’t think so. I’ve always moved to clubs because it made the most sense and felt right at that moment in my career. I’ve obviously enjoyed more success at some clubs than others but no one has a crystal ball prior to any transfer.

Looking ahead, what are your personal targets for this season, both defensively (clean sheets, tackles, interceptions) and perhaps offensively (goals from corners, etc)?

I think my priority for any season is to try to play as many games as possible, to play to a high level consistently and to keep improving. As a team, to try and compete as high up the table as we can and see where it takes us.