The 27-year-old has been in Dunedin since the middle of last month and is one of 14 new players in the Southern United squad this year.
French was born and bred in Methlick, a small village northwest of Aberdeen, and has played football in a bunch of countries since graduating from the University of Stirling in 2010.
He spent four years there studying sports science and playing football, before taking a couple of years off the game to work and travel.
French started playing again in Australia in 2013, before heading to Auckland to play for Waitakere United in the ASB Premiership later the same year.
Since then, football has taken him to India and Spain and back home to play for Formartine United in the Highland Football League, the club he has played for since he was 10.
Southern United coach Mike Fridge originally approached the striker to join the team for last year's ASB Premiership campaign, but the timing was not right.
''He tried to get me out, but contracts overlapped and the timing wasn't great. Then he gave me a call again this season and asked, `How about coming out this season?','' French said.
''It was getting into the winter in Scotland and I was kind of fancying some more summer football and getting out of the frosty pitches.''
French, who plans to pick up some part-time work while in Dunedin, missed Southern United's season-opening 2-0 loss to Waitakere United with an ankle injury a couple of weeks ago, but did start in last week's 3-0 loss to Hawkes Bay in Napier.
''It was disappointing to miss playing against the old team,'' French said.
''And we went out with a toothless 2-0 defeat. I think it's going to be one of those seasons where it takes a little bit of time for us to settle into our system. We have got a few boys from out of town as well.
''It might be the second half of the season where we come into it a lot more.''
In addition to having no competition points from its first two games, Southern United has not found the back of the net in 180 minutes of football.
As a striker, French called that a ''sore point'' , but he is confident the goals will come.
The Dunedin-based side has a golden opportunity to change its fortunes against Wellington Phoenix, which has also lost both its games this season, at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Sunday.
''It's a big game for us,'' French said.
''If we can win, we can at least get off the foot of the table, which is big for us. We don't want to be languishing around the bottom.''
Southern United has been decimated with players being unavailable through injury and personal commitments for the first two games, but should be in better shape this week.
However, the return of a bunch of players, including captain Matt Joy, could be offset by the loss of midfielder Stu Kelly, who took an ankle knock against Hawkes Bay and needs an MRI scan.
French does not have any plans beyond playing for Southern United for the next five months, but said living in Dunedin was ''cruisy'', and hinted he could stay in New Zealand and play some club football next winter.
