Dylan Easton is convinced he can reach the Premiership with Raith Rovers after knocking back the chance to fast-track his route to the top-flight.
The 30-year-old put an end to months of speculation when he penned a two-year contract extension at Stark’s Park this week.
He was a man in demand as his previous deal with Raith ran out and he considered his options.
Dundee United, Motherwell and Partick Thistle are all understood to have been amongst those showing an interest in securing the attacker’s services.
However, despite belief he could already hold his own at the top of Scottish football, Easton insists committing his future to Rovers was a ‘no-brainer’.
“The stage I am in my career at the moment, I wanted to hold off and see what was best for me and my family,” he told Courier Sport.
“There was a lot of interest, there were quite a few clubs. My phone sort of burned up the week after the play-offs.
“I sat back and had time to reflect, and I spoke with my partner and we looked at all the pros and cons.
‘I feel at home’
“The most I’ve probably ever enjoyed my football, really, is that season there with Raith.
“I feel at home there. I’ve got a really good relationship with the staff, I’ve obviously had the manager for a few seasons now, and I’ve built a good relationship with the fans as well.
“With all that, it was kind of a no-brainer to be honest.
“I had one chat with my missus and then messaged the gaffer and Pottsy [John Potter] and said, ‘c’mon, let’s get it signed’.”
Premiership football was within touching distance for Raith this season.
But having lost out to United in the title race, they then found the play-off final against Ross County a step too far.
It has whet the appetite for another tilt at promotion, however, and Easton is confident Rovers can help him achieve his ambitions of top-flight football.
“I do feel I can play at the highest level,” he added. “I believe in my own ability.
“And the higher up I go, with better players around me and playing against better opposition, I seem to perform better.
“The squad we’ve built at Raith, and going so close this season, I think we’ll have a right good chance again next season.
‘One step further’
“The league’s there to be won and I think that will be the aim, in terms of myself and the players and the staff as well. I want to be part of that.
“Raith is a great place to be at the moment. No disrespect to things previously, but the new owners coming in have made a big difference. Everything has gone in the right direction.
“Of course I love spending time with my kids and my family, but I look forward to going to my work every single morning.
“It’s a really good place to be and a really bubbly place, and I want to be part of the journey.
“So, hopefully next season we can go that one step further.”
Meanwhile, Easton has joked he now has an alternative career in mind for when he hangs up his boots.
Raith announced his contract extension with an innovative parody of The Wolf of Wall Street film in another social media hit from the Kirkcaldy club.
Shouting out ‘I’m not leaving’ to copy Leonardo di Caprio’s character from the hit movie, the content has been viewed over 325,000 times on X (Twitter).
“As soon as I signed,” he explained, “all the coaching staff were all messaging me at the same time telling me they were delighted.
‘A big reveal’
“They said it was a really big signing for us, in terms of my commitment to the club.
“And they said the club would have to do a big reveal video. The club’s been really good with the social media side of it over the last year.
“It only took me a couple of takes. People kept asking and saying they would love to know how many times it took me.
“But it was only a couple, so at least I know what I can do outside of football in future!”
