Scotland prop Reid: My Saints stint must be a world record!

"I'm going to say I made The Guinness Book of Records because I'm probably the highest paid professional ever - although I didn't get paid much - for training," Reid said, jovially.

"Although I didn't train much - I must have trained for about three hours - I signed a contract for four months so if you think about the amount of money I've made per hour, it's phenomenal."

But although the hugely affable Reid is remaining upbeat, it is clear there is also a real disappointment that he didn't get to wear the black, green and gold.

He signed for the club on March 11 as Saints sought to fill the loosehead void left by Alex Waller, who had been ruled out for the remainder of the season with an Achilles injury.

But Reid, whose contract runs until June 30, would never get the chance to have a run out for Northampton.

The Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe, putting a stop to all rugby action, meaning Saints' most recent match remains the 16-10 Gallagher Premiership win at Worcester Warriors on March 6.

And with the season not set to resume until the weekend of August 15, Reid will not get to feature for Chris Boyd's side.

"I went down to Northampton on the Tuesday night, signed my contract on the Wednesday and I wasn't even going to train because they told me I didn't have to, but I wanted to and it was my choice," the 33-year-old explained.

"So I trained and then trained on the Thursday before going back home because we were off that weekend with no game.

"I took all my homework with me to learn all the calls, then went back on the Sunday night from Scotland, trained on the Monday and then got the message that we were off for a week.

"Then that week turned into two weeks and then the government shut us down.

"I was really hoping I was going to play because Northampton was a club I always wanted to play at, and that's why I jumped at the chance.

"I turned down a few other contract offers from other clubs, over in France and also in the Premiership - Sarries, before all that stuff happened with the money for them.

"I turned down Sarries and a few other clubs but as soon as Northampton came up, I just jumped at it."

Reid, who has won 41 international caps, is now back home in Scotland, reflecting on what might have been.

His love for rugby returned when playing for his country at the World Cup in Japan last year - Reid played in all four of Scotland's matches in the tournament - and he was clearly targeting a new chapter in Northampton.

"I was at London Irish and I wasn't really enjoying my rugby at all because I was away from the family," Reid explains.

"I ended up saying I would go back home and play for Ayr and Glasgow also.

"I kind of fell in love with rugby again and decided I would give it another shot.

"There was a team over in France, teams in the Premiership who still wanted me but I didn't want to just dive in.

"I'm not saying the money was bad, I just didn't want to dive in so I waited and waited and then Northampton Saints came up.

"I'd heard a lot of good things about the fans, I'd heard a lot of good things about the club, the coaches, the players and everything.

"I just dived at it and thought 'this is where I want to be'.

"Given the style of rugby they play and the type of boys there, I thought I would enjoy it and start playing well.

"I said to the wife that I was going to give it a shot and she was happy enough for me to go down there again.

"I wanted a new challenge and I thought Northampton would be the perfect challenge for me."

And Reid truly felt that Northampton could become home for him and his family.

"I've got one child and another on the way," he said.

"My wife would have stayed in Scotland but if I'd have got a more permanent contract at the end of the season she would have moved down.

"She would have been on maternity anyway because she would have just had the baby and my wee one is still young anyway so she would have been fine.

"Northampton would have been a place we'd have settled and enjoyed.

"We stayed in London before and my wife didn't really like it because we're country birds. We like to be in the country as a family.

"We made the big move of moving to London and she just didn't like it the way I did so Northampton would have been the place for her.

"I knew quite a few of the boys anyway from Northampton so I knew she would have liked it.

"They were going to put me up in a flat that was only five minutes from the club and I was going to fight for my place to be able to play there for next year.

"I would 100 per cent have liked to stay longer.

"I was there for three days and I know it sounds weird and stupid, but I really enjoyed my three days there.

"You know when you go into somewhere and you just get a buzz, a feeling - I got that feeling.

"I felt the club is something special.

"The feeling I felt when we won the league with Glasgow - a brotherhood, a family - I felt that there.

"I said that to the coaches. I said I'm not filling you with 'b******t' or anything, I just feel the club is going to do something special'.

"I said 'it might not be this year, but if you keep this group of boys, something special will happen with this team'."

Reid, who has enjoyed two stints at Glasgow - helping them win the Pro12 in 2014-15 - and has also previously spent two seasons in the Premiership with London Irish, would have been playing his part in a top division title bid had Covid-19 not intervened.

And he added: "I was itching to play.

"I was really excited to get there and I just wanted to give it a shot.

"I felt a new lease of life at the World Cup and I wanted to do something and give it a good crack and that's why I held off for the right club.

"Different clubs were definitely wanting me to go but it wasn't about money, it was more about being at the right team.

"Northampton and the coaching staff were the thing I wanted and needed."

While the whole world has been finding life tough in lockdown, Reid's mental health has been tested to an even bigger degree after his dad passed away at the age of 65 at the end of March.

"It's been a 's***e' few months," Reid said.

"My dad passed away at the end of March and it brought my family even closer but overall it's been really bad.

"I've not had any rugby and I had just found that lease of life and that energy that I want to go and do it again.

"I'm refreshed and I've been doing my training and my fitness and weights, which I hate because I just love playing rugby - that's my thing.

"If I could go and play again somewhere else, it would have to be the right club.

"I'm not going for money, it's about the right club and I'm keeping my options open.

"I've started up a new business and I'll be doing my fitness as well and whatever I need to do in case that opportunity to play rugby comes up again."

In the meantime, Reid's social media output continues to be something of an inspiration in the art of positivity.

"When I have fun I relax and I do funny things that I think are funny," he explained.

"I'm of the mindset that if you don't like it, don't watch it.

"It's about having fun with my daughter and spending time with her, which has been great.

"I've been doing random videos and it's all about mental health.

"I went through a bad time for a couple of years and last year, being away from my family, was really tough for me.

"I know I've been through quite a hard time with my dad passing recently and if I can put a smile on someone's face, that's a massive thing.

"If I can put a smile on their face and stop them doing something stupid - there's a lot of suicides in a place near me in Scotland - then my job is done.

"These are the things I'm looking to do: to make people smile.

"Everyone's had a tough time in this lockdown and I also want to do this for my daughter too, so she can look back at these videos and think 'that's my dad, look at him, he was an idiot and he's funny'.

"That's another reason why I do these videos, so she's got something to look back at and say 'my dad was this and my dad was that'."

During this interview, Reid was helping to move things from his dad's garage.

And it is clear just how much of an inspiration his mum has been to him.

"It has been hard but my mum has been the total driver, she's been the rock of the family and a total inspiration," Reid said.

"For someone to lose their right-hand man, their arm really, my mum and dad were the rocks of our family.

"My mum is the brains of the family and my dad was the muscle, getting the job done so they had this bond.

"Everything I get is from my mum because she's been through a lot and I just need to try to be there for her.

"If I make her laugh and smile, I just think she won't feel as bad.

"She's got a smile on her face every day and doing what she does so I'd have a cheek if I was down and depressed.

"I'm looking at her now cleaning the stuff out of my dad's garage - he was a mechanic - and she still manages to keep a smile on her face.

"Everyone asks who your idol was growing up and I say it's my mum and my dad.

"My mum is a fighter."