HAMILTON new boy Jason Scotland insists Accies were head and shoulders above the rest when it came to finding a new club after leaving Barnsley.
The former Dundee United striker opted for a move to Lanarkshire despite having more lucrative
options elsewhere.
Championship rivals Dundee and several Premiership sides had shown an interest in the 34-year-old’s
services but the hitman admits his better half had the final say on where to put down his roots.
Scotland will line up against Cowdenbeath this afternoon after his wife called the shots on his move as she attempts to get her hair dressing salon off the ground.
He said: “I wasn’t playing for Barnsley as much as I would have liked.
“My missus is from Wishaw. She has just opened a business up here and the salon is called Hed Kandi so she was keen to come back to Scotland.
“My agent contacted a few clubs and several of them were interested in signing me.
“Hamilton was probably the closest one and I’ve heard a lot of good things about them from ex-players and managers.
“They were looking for a spark from me and it seemed like a good fit.
“I had options in the Scottish Premier League, as well as other Championship teams but this was
the best bet for me.
“My wife opened her hair salon in Wishaw about two months ago.
“It’s perfect because Wishaw is only 15 minutes from Hamilton.”
The one-time Trinidad and Tobago international has enjoyed a goal-laden career which included spells with St Johnstone and Wigan, where he moved from Swansea for £2.5million four years ago.
With 136 senior goals to his name in over 400 senior appearances, Scotland is adamant he hasn’t returned north to run down his career and is determined to help his new club challenge for the Championship title.
He said: “I’m here to play football. I wasn’t getting much game time at Barnsley but I still believe I have
something to offer.
“Hopefully I can give Hamilton a lift and try to get them over the line.
“I want my wife and I to be happy in Scotland. She has been travelling up and down from England to take care of the business.
“It was tough going for her so this makes life easier. Everything has worked out fine.
“I feel I can really hit the ground running at Hamilton.
“The last game I started was on Boxing Day and I haven’t played 90 minutes for some time.
“My only target is promotion to the Premiership with Hamilton.
“It’s a young squad so hopefully I can be an influence in the dressing room.
“Maybe I can put down roots here but first of all it’s about going up to the Premiership
with Hamilton.”
Scotland did background checks on what to expect at Hamilton and has also had best wishes from his former Barnsley team-mate and ex-Celtic player Paddy McCourt.
He said: “Paddy texted me on Wednesday night wishing me good luck and hopefully we can meet for a few drinks soon. He’s a magical player and we get on well.”
Meanwhile, Cowden striker Kane Hemmings hopes his side can carry on their good form on the road.
The Blue Brazil have now gone six matches at home without a victory but have enjoyed better away form, including a win against Championship table toppers Dundee.
And the Division’s top scorer is hoping their form on the road continues this afternoon.
He said: “We’ve been doing well away from home recently so we’ll take a lot of confidence from that.
“We know we can challenge the top teams. We beat Dundee away and got results against Alloa and Raith so we know we can do it.”