Liam Fox admits he is glad to have played a part in the fledgling career of Ross Matthews at Raith Rovers.
Matthews was Fox’s ‘boot boy’ as an apprentice at Stark’s Park and was always keen to pick up as many tips as possible from his more experienced fellow central midfielder.
And Fox, currently Hearts’ stand-in manager, has spoken of the role he played in Matthews making his first start for Raith on the final day of the season in May 2015 .
The former Dundee United boss explained to Courier Sport: “It seems like a long time ago now, but Ross was my boot boy when I was a player at Raith Rovers.
“He was a great kid, you could see that even from the first time he trained with the first-team.
“He was always dead receptive to things and you could always tell he had a wee bit about him. Ross was a fit boy and he’s worked with some good people since he came through.
“I was just about to start working at Hearts in the summer of 2015 and it was the last game in the season.
The kids are alright
“I knew Ross was going to be the future of Raith Rovers.
“So, I said to Laurie Ellis, who was the manager at the time, ‘listen, it should be about the kids’.
“I knew I was finishing and I wanted to see the kids get an opportunity, and Ross played that game.”
As chance would have it, Fox was able to help Matthews celebrate his testimonial match on Wednesday night as Hearts’ caretaker boss.
Raith won the friendly 3-1 thanks to second-half goals from Lewis Jamieson, Jack Hamilton and Dylan Easton.
“Ross has always had a brilliant attitude and I’m delighted he’s got a bit of recognition with this testimonial,” added Fox, who spent two years with Raith as a player after signing in 2013.
“It’s not very often you get a one-club man these days, but his attitude has always stood out and he’s just desperate to do well for Raith.
“I really enjoyed the night and I’m glad he got a decent turnout.
“He’s just one of the guys you always want to do well and, like the others I’ve played with, I always keep an eye on him.”
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