Chris Hamilton has poignantly declared that his late grandfather would be beaming with pride following his switch to Dunfermline Athletic.
Hamilton, a boyhood Pars supporter, penned a long-term deal with the Fife outfit after being released by Hearts last month.
The switch followed a super campaign on loan with Championship shock troops Arbroath.
The announcement of Hamilton’s arrival prompted the club to post a slew of old pictures of the youngster sporting Dunfermline colours on Twitter.
And the 20-year-old revealed that it was his grandfather, Jim, who first ignited his passion for the Pars — even if the results weren’t always the best.
From the @parsfoundation Mini Kickers to now pulling on the first team shirt 🏁
We'll catch up with Chris next week as the players return for pre season training 😎 pic.twitter.com/ZDd8IK2E7w
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) June 8, 2022
“It will be special for my family to come and watch me at East End Park, having been watching Dunfermline for so many years,” said Hamilton.
“From the time I first knew what football was, I was coming to games at East End Park with my grandpa.
“You sit there at that age and never really think, ‘I’ll play out there one day’. But, as you get older, that becomes the dream.
“Those are the first memories I have with my grandpa, who isn’t here any more.
“Things like that make it special. I know he’ll be proud. No matter what I go onto do in my career, I’ll be massively proud to say, ‘I’ve played for Dunfermline’.”
He added: “My first memories aren’t the best for Dunfermline fans! The one that stands out is the 8-1 defeat against Celtic [February 2006].
“I didn’t really know what was going on — but my grandpa was getting more and more wound up and we ended up leaving early.
“I was at the [2007 Scottish Cup] final against Celtic, which didn’t end well either [1-0 defeat].
“There have been more recent games that I’ve been to with my brother; the Friday night games when I’ve been able.
“Arbroath was great and it was a pleasure to play for Hearts, but when it’s your team; the team you supported and grew up with; that your family all supported — nothing compares to that.”
‘Time for something else’
And Hamilton is circumspect regarding his Hearts exit, having been at Tynecastle for 13 years, making one senior appearance.
“I spoke to Robbie [Neilson] last summer so I had an idea I would be moving on,” added Hamilton. “But I still had a year left on my contract.
“I wanted to see that out, while going out on loan and trying to get experience at a high level. Thankfully, Arbroath gave me that opportunity.
“I needed to move on. I was training with the younger boys and I needed a fresh start. Obviously, there was some sadness — I’ve been at Hearts for pretty much my whole footballing career — but I knew it was time for something else.”
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