Had things turned out differently a few years ago, Derek McInnes could have been the manager who gave Josh Fowler his first big break in professional football.
Back in the summer of 2023, whilst in charge of Kilmarnock, McInnes took the young striker on a pre-season trip to Northern Ireland.
This was at a time when Fowler had just scored 49 goals in 78 games across two seasons with Beith Juniors.
Killie were not the only top-flight club keeping tabs on him, with Fowler also going on trial with Motherwell during a pre-season trip to the Netherlands.
In the end, neither club decided to take a punt on a young man who was still only 21 years old and who had been working as a joiner.
It could easily have been a sliding doors moment, the kind which sees a young player perhaps start to feel like their chance of making it as a professional has gone.
St Johnstone striker Josh Fowler is joint-top scorer in the Scottish Premiership
But Fowler chose a different route. He was a man in demand. He would eventually leave Beith to embark on spells with Gulf United in Dubai then St Albans Dinamo in Australia before heading back to Dubai City.
He returned home in 2025 for a spell at Queen’s Park which saw him score 19 goals in 25 matches and become top scorer in the Championship, before eventually signing for St Johnstone in January earlier this year.
The goals are now starting to flow in Perth as well. Fowler hit the winner in a 1-0 triumph over Aberdeen a fortnight ago and netted again in a 1-1 draw with Dundee United last week.
He has five goals in his last six matches. All in all, six goals in nine matches so far this season sees him arrive at Ibrox this afternoon to take on McInnes and Rangers as the league’s joint-top scorer.
It is quite a tale. A striker with electric pace plucked from obscurity further down the leagues, before eventually going on to score goals by the bucketload in the top flight, he could well be Scottish football’s answer to Jamie Vardy.
Reflecting on Fowler’s journey, Chris Irving, the club secretary at Beith for the past decade, said: ‘The first thing I would say about Josh is that he is a really humble guy. He doesn’t forget his roots.
Fowler’s nomadic career thus far has taken him to Dubai and Australia before his move to Perth
‘Even now, he still keeps in touch and takes an interest in how Beith are doing. I think there is a lot to be said for that kind of humility.
‘I can vividly remember Josh arriving at Beith as a young boy a few years ago. To be honest, the signing kind of came about by chance as much as anything.
‘Josh was working as an apprentice joiner and his lecturer at Cardonald College was Danny Shearer. Danny was our club president at the time, so Josh just asked him if he could come down for a trial.
‘I think he trained for a couple of nights then his first game was a pre-season friendly against Lugar Boswell Thistle which we won 8-0.
‘Josh played out wide on the left wing in that game and I remember speaking to our manager Bryan Young, who seemed to be a bit unsure whether we should sign him.
‘I basically said to Bryan: “Listen, we’ve got to sign him before someone else does”. I think the fact he then went on to score nearly 50 goals over two seasons probably vindicated that decision.
‘From what I could gather, I think Killie and Motherwell both liked him when they had him on trial. Why they didn’t sign him, I don’t know. You would have to ask them.
On his return from a second spell in Dubai, Fowler immediately caught the eye at Queen’s Park
‘But, just generally, I think there is maybe still a slight reluctance from Premiership clubs to take a chance on a player from lower down the leagues.
‘Some people still have this idea about the Juniors from 20, 30, 40 years ago that it’s all just long ball and kick-and-rush. But it’s not like that at all.
‘I’ve been involved with Beith for a long time now and I can tell you the overall quality and the level is far, far better than most people would give it credit for.
‘Josh is the perfect example of how you can find a hidden gem if you are willing to look down the leagues and take a chance on someone.
‘Listen, you never know, if he can maintain this form and finish the season as top scorer in the country, Sebastien Pocognoli could have a look at him for Scotland. I don’t see why not. What a story it would be.’
Given the way that Fowler has continually thrived every time he’s moved up the ladder to a higher level, it would be foolish to rule out a Scotland call-up.
Could Sebastien Pocognoli be tempted to cap Fowler’s rapid rise with a Scotland call-up?
He is a striker with blistering pace, clever movement, and has an eye for goal. In case anyone hasn’t noticed, Scotland are not blessed with many strikers who can tick those boxes.
Since taking charge, Pocognoli has spoken of a desire to freshen the squad up and to try and bring through a newer generation of players.
Fowler is still only 24. All of his best years are ahead of him. There will be some, of course, who get sniffy about the idea of a St Johnstone player being called up to the Scotland squad. But Josh McPake would be a prime example of a player who has continued to blossom, having shone for Saints as well.
Conner McGlinchey was a close friend of Fowler’s during their time together at Beith and he believes it’s only a matter of time before clubs from England start taking notice.
‘My first impression of Josh was: “Wow! He is rapid”,’ said McGlinchey. ‘Don’t get me wrong, he was quite raw. But he was so quick and he was confident as well.
‘He was quite off-the-cuff with a lot of the things he did. In his first season, he was playing on instinct a lot of the time.
‘Then, in his second season, he went on to another level. In that second season he was easily the best striker in the league by a mile. He was lethal.
Fowler will lead the line for Simo Valakari’s St Johnstone against Rangers at Ibrox this weekend
‘I was vice-captain at the time and me and a couple of boys used to car share with him. We knew there was interest in him.
‘Given the start he’s had to the season with St Johnstone, top scorer in the league, I would guarantee you there are clubs looking at him right now.
‘Especially if he goes and scores against Rangers at Ibrox this weekend, an English Championship club will come in for him in January. Clubs down south will always take a chance on someone who can score goals.’
Fowler has emerged as one of the feel-good stories in Scottish football over the past year or so.
A rough diamond plucked from the lower leagues, now thriving in the top flight.
His path has been anything but conventional. But he has proven he can cut it at the top level in Scotland. A young man who continues to take everything in his stride, it will be fascinating to see just how far he can go.
