Elgin City made me a feared striker says transfer-listed striker Kane Hester, who is interesting a number of east coast clubs
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Kane Hester says Elgin City helped him become one of the most feared strikers in the lower leagues, but now he is ready for his next chapter.
The 27-year-old was put on the transfer list at City at his own request after growing tired of three-hour trips north for training and home matches.
He looked back fondly on four-and-a-half goal-laden years with the Borough Briggs club, which started with an ultimatum from his previous manager Dick Campbell telling him he had no choice but to move from Arbroath to Elgin.
"It’s been a great relationship between club and player and I would definitely recommend Elgin to another player if anyone asked me - I would say 100 per cent to go there," Hester said.
"I would say I have made a name for myself in the Scottish game and that is down to being taken in by Elgin and being played every week. I will always appreciate that.
WATCH: Interview with City goal machine Kane Hester
"I work in Dundee now and it’s a long, long way from Elgin. It was taking me three hours to get up to Elgin for training and games and after four-and-a-half years of doing that, it’s just taking its toll. I think my car is ruined from all the miles I’ve done."
Clubs are now queuing up to sign the deadly attacker, who netted 29 goals for City last season to take him to 87 in 150 starts for the Moray club.
Hester recalled current Arbroath boss Campbell's role in his 2019 transfer to Borough Briggs, and his memorable starting debut when he scored twice in a 3-3 draw with Edinburgh City.
"I was pretty much told I was signing for Elgin. Dick phoned me and said ‘you are going to Elgin, son’ and that was it. There was no negotiation involved, that was the end of the conversation and that was me away.
"I was signed (for Arbroath) by Todd Lumsden and after he moved on, Dick came in and it was quite a learning experience for me at such a young age. I had only ever experienced junior football so coming in and working with someone like Dick took a bit of getting used to.
"I felt I did well at Arbroath, I had limited game time but I did score goals and it was an enjoyable time for me but the time came to move on.
"I made my Elgin debut as sub in a cup game at Hibs. I remember my first goals in the next game at Borough Briggs (against Edinburgh). I scored my first goal then went up the pitch and scored again right away. It was a good debut for me, I couldn't have asked for much better than that.
"I’m proud of what I achieved at the club, I’m just sad I couldn't get to 100 goals before I finished. But I’m proud to score 87."
The recent sacking of Elgin manager Gavin Price - the man who signed Hester - was a determining factor in the player deciding to seek pastures new.
"Gavin was so influential in getting me to the club and in the end, his not being there was a big part in me wanting to move on at the same time. He was massive for me so it did influence my decision to leave."
Hester is now up for sale, and it is understood that Elgin don't want to transfer the player to another League 2 club.
That would rule out Peterhead, who have been linked with making a move for the player along with Cove Rangers and Montrose, among others.
"I won’t go down the levels so it will have to be up. As long as it was closer to home for me, I would be happy.
There’s been a fair bit of interest and I’m 27 now so I probably still have a good six or seven years ahead of me."
Among Hester's 87 strikes for City were numerous hat-tricks, goals against Premiership sides like Dundee United and St Johnstone, crucial cup efforts and his favourite game, a treble against full-time Queen's Park to shoot the Black and Whites into the play-offs in 2021.
"I’ve got quite a few hat-trick balls sitting in the house from my time at Elgin - seven or eight. But the Queen's Park game sticks out in my mind as a high point.
"It was a great night and the only sad thing was that there were no fans (because of Covid-19).
"I have played with some great players at Elgin. The partnership I has with Shane Sutherland was really enjoyable, and there have been some fantastic players who have come and gone from the time I played with them - and I'm sure there will be many more."
Hester hinted that Elgin's next manager may look to adopt a different approach from Price to get the best out of the team.
"Elgin will get on absolutely fine without me. I think they may change tactics a bit.
"Getting in behind is always the strength for strikers at a club and we maybe preyed too much upon that in recent times.
"Elgin are a good footballing team and maybe they will resort back to playing some outright football. I’m actually excited to see what happens at the club."
Hester fractured a bone in his lower leg as he played through injury in Elgin's closing fixtures, and will be wearing a 'moon boot' for the next month to recover before he is able to start pre-season with his next club.
And his parting message to the Elgin supporters was one of gratitude.
"I can’t say anything to the fans other than give them a big thank you," he said.
"I enjoyed playing for the club and enjoyed scoring goals so thank you for the good times I had at Elgin.
