Edinburgh City's Lee Hamilton ready for another crack at the big time

The Edinburgh City defender was plying his trade for Stranraer almost four years ago when the Blues were drawn away to boyhood heroes Rangers in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.

But four weeks prior to the Ibrox clash, a devastated Hamilton suffered a knee injury and was ruled out for three months. And although then manager Stevie Farrell included him in the matchday squad for the trip to Govan in January 2020, it remains a bugbear of the 28-year-old central defender.

"I was absolutely gutted," Hamilton told the Evening News ahead of this afternoon's Scottish Cup third-round clash against Montrose at Meadowbank. "I've supported Rangers since I was a kid so to miss the game was heartbreaking. The physio at Stranraer thought I'd maybe make the game when I got injured but we got the diagnosis wrong and I ended up out for a lot longer. It was probably a good thing I never tried to force myself to play that day because I could have made it a lot worse.

"But it was horrible, especially when we got on the bus to head to the stadium and all the other boys were so excited for it. But the gaffer was great, he put me on the bench just so I could experience being in the changing room and out on the pitch. But to not get on really hurt.

"At this stage everyone is looking to progress so if you can get through you are hoping to draw a big team, particularly your boyhood club. It's an experience you don't always get playing in League One or Two so it's a massive opportunity."

Visitors the Gable Endies will fancy their chances having registered a 5-1 win in the Capital just three weeks ago but Hamilton said: "It would be nice to get back one over them. We made a lot of mistakes and pretty much gave them three or four goals Things just didn't go for us that day. I wouldn't say we were terrible because generally if you make a mistake, one of your team-mates is there to bail you out. That just didn't happen.

"We treat every game the same and that's to try and win it. It's not a case of holding back or anything like that just because it's the Scottish Cup. I think we're on the way up again. Everyone is positive in camp at the minute and on the same page."