Five times Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish football crossed paths during First Minister's reign

If you haven't already heard, Nicola Sturgeon has decided to quit as First Minister and SNP leader after eight years in charge.

Speaking at a press conference earlier today Sturgeon revealed she has been thinking about stepping down from frontline politics for some time and that the "time is now". She said: "In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. That it's right for me, for my party and my country. Since my very first moments in the job I have believed a part of serving well would be to know almost instinctively when the time is right to make way for someone else."

Since taking over from Alex Salmond as First Minister after the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 the 52-year-old has only dipped her toes in the country's favourite past time on a number of occasions. During the coronavirus pandemic Sturgeon's Scottish Government shut football down, but it also helped clubs through the hard months with financial payments.. Football eventually returned and so did fans, however that wasn't the only time she has addressed some of the big issues.

Here are five times the First Minister immersed herself in Scottish football:

Sturgeon called on the SPFL last year to intervene after David Goodwillie signed for Raith Rovers. There was controversy after the striker, who was ruled to be a rapist in a civil court case in 2017 although no criminal proceedings were instructed, penned a deal at Starks Park.

She said at the time: "It would be appropriate for the SPFL to take action. We have to recognise footballers are role models and young boys and girls look up to footballers so there is a responsibility on football clubs to make sure those role models are positive.

"We are talking about a football player who in a