Danny Grainger credits Jim Jefferies with sparking the most successful and enjoyable spell of his career and admits he is now desperate to thank the Dunfermline manager by helping to guide the Pars back to the Championship.
Grainger rose through the leagues with Gretna, winning promotion to the Premier League in 2007, before spells with Dundee United and St Johnstone led him to a switch to Hearts in the summer of 2011.
Jefferies was the man responsible for the Cumbrian landing at Tynecastle, even if Jefferies’ subsequent sacking just days into the new season meant it was a short-lived relationship between the pair.
It was not, however, one that Grainger has forgotten despite it being Paulo Sergio who was at the helm when Hearts created history with their 5-1 hammering of rivals Hibs in the 2012 Scottish Cup final.
Understandably, given he netted what was arguably the all-important third goal from the spot shortly after half-time in that Hampden hurrah, the 27-year-old rates his time at Hearts, where he also tasted European football, as a career high.
Having been reunited in January with Jefferies in the less celebrated surroundings of Dunfermline in League One, Grainger now wants to recognise the part played by his experienced boss in shaping his success.
Ahead of tonight’s first leg of the Pars’ play-off semi-final against Stranraer, he said: “At the end of the day, you can only play what’s in front of you and what’s in front of me is to help Dunfermline get promoted.
“If I can achieve that I’ll be more than happy and I can put it alongside the promotions with Gretna and the cup finals and everything else.
“I’ve been very lucky in what I’ve been able to achieve in my career and a lot of that has been down to the manager. If it wasn’t for the manager, I wouldn’t have been at Hearts, which is where I achieved quite a lot in my career.
“I owe him a lot and hopefully I can repay him by helping him get this team up into next season’s Championship.”
Dunfermline knew they were always up against it in trying to challenge Rangers for the title this season but they were comfortable in the runner-up spot, finishing 12 points ahead of tonight’s opponents.
With that lead affording Jefferies the luxury of resting his first-choice team in recent weeks, Grainger believes the Pars are primed for success.
He added: “In the last few weeks, it was at the back of our minds that we had secured second place and we wanted to get the play-offs under way.
“Now that they’re here, the atmosphere in the dressing room is great and all the boys just want to get them started.
“This was the time of the season I was really looking forward to when I signed, to push on and help this club get promoted, and that’s what I’m looking forward to.
“It’s a squad that’s full of determination and full of winners. We haven’t got any fear. The dressing room is full of boys that want to do well and get up into that Championship and challenge themselves again.”