Dundee new boy Christie Elliott could have been heading to Dens as a Partick Thistle player about to celebrate his testimonial year.
Such was his length of service to the Jags – 237 appearances over eight years – that he was bang on course to receive the honour that so few players earn in the modern game.
Elliott, who also captained the Firhill side, instead chose to try his luck in his native England and joined Carlisle United last summer.
He has come back up the road to Dundee and, by a wonderful coincidence, he is poised to make his first start for his new club against his old one this afternoon.
“It is a mad one,” said Elliott, who came off the bench last Saturday away to Morton to replace Ollie Crankshaw.
“I spent most of my career at Partick so what a game it would be to hopefully get my home debut in.
“I have a lot of good memories from my time at Thistle so what a team to start against!
“It was a massive decision for me to leave Partick.
“In terms of trying to move on it was always going to be a hard thing to do but I wanted to go to the English league and see what it was like.
“I did a lot of thinking before I decided to move but these things happen in football.”
He certainly must have thought long and hard, what with the prospect of a testimonial year looming large on the horizon.
Elliott added: “Originally I got offered a new contract and it was tempting to accept considering I had been there for eight years.
“But I just concluded that it was the right time to try something different.
“Had I signed the new contract I potentially would have gone on to get a testimonial.
“That was a massive deal and in football you don’t get them very often.
“I really enjoyed my time there and really have respect for the club.”
However, it will be all about Dundee for Elliott this afternoon as the Dark Blues try to deal with the news that defensive duo Cammy Kerr and Jordan McGhee have undergone surgery on their knee and hand respectively.
With Jordan Marshall also out long-term, that will give Elliott and his fellow new arrival Tom Field opportunities to establish themselves.
The South Shields-born full-back said: “This is a massive game for us.
“I was quite surprised when I first came here that Dundee were mid-table.
“You expect Dundee to be first or second because of the experience and the quality they have in the team.
“There are a lot of good lads in the dressing room and top players.
“It is all about consistency – that is what puts you up there.
“In this league you get two wins in a row and you are up there.
“You look at Dundee United, they win most weeks and that’s why they are top.
“I was delighted to sign and hopefully I can help the team start getting results that push us up the table.”
