Jack Hamilton ‘delighted’ to sign for Raith Rovers

The powerful 22-year-old striker is a proven goalscorer in the SPFL Championship where he netted 18 times in 35 matches for Arbroath.

Hamilton, of Coldingham, signed for Livingston as a 17-year-old in 2017, spending time out on loan at Penicuik Athletic in the East of Scotland League and Berwick Rangers in SPFL League 2 in his first two seasons as a professional.

His loan spell at Berwick in the second half of season 2017-18 saw him notch a respectable return of eight goals in 16 appearances for the Black and Gold.

Hamilton told Raith TV: “I’m absolutely buzzing to be here.

“I spoke to John Potter, the director of football and was delighted to get this done and I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ve been on loan quite a few times now so I’m buzzing to be here permanently and getting away from the loan market.

“Hopefully I can settle in and do my best for the club.

“It’s great to get a three-year deal. The club obviously rate me really highly, so I’m just hoping to repay them, the fans and everyone associated to the best of my ability.

“I am a good, strong striker and hopefully I can score as many goals as I can, link up, run into channels and help the team as much as possible and I’ll always give the team 100 per cent.

“The stadium is brilliant and there is a lot of work going on and the fans are brilliant so everything looks positive.”

Returning to the Livingston squad at the start of season 2018-19, he made a number of substitute appearances in the League Cup and SPFL Premiership before starting his first loan spell in the SPFL Championship at Alloa in January 2019 with the aim of furthering his development.

In season 2019-20 he was loaned out to another SPFL Championship side – Queen of the South – where he scored four goals.

It was in season 2020-21 that Hamilton really started to make his mark as a goalscorer, at first on loan in SPFL League 1 at East Fife and then in the Championship with Arbroath.

The following season – 2021-22 – Jack started the season in the SPFL Premiership with Livingston before starting a second loan spell at Arbroath last January.

His second spell at Gayfield brought him a 10-goal scoring record as the Lichties pushed eventual champions Kilmarnock all the way to the second-last match of the season, ultimately losing out to Inverness on penalties in the Premiership playoffs.

In the season just finished, he was loaned out for the season to English Football League 2 side Hartlepool United as one of a large contingent of Scottish players.

Rovers manager Ian Murray said he was glad to have secured Hamilton’s signature at last, having tried and failed previously.

“We missed out on Jack last season but we have kept tabs on him,” he said. “He is a good, young player who we can develop and he is an out-and-out striker.

“I look forward to working with him.”

Explaining Livingston’s decision to let the Borderer they signed as a 17-year-old go, manager David Martindale said: “I think this is a great move for Jack.

“I honestly believe Jack has to go out and find a new home where he can concentrate on his football and get back to doing what Jack does best – scoring goals.

“Jack was coming to the end of his contract next season and coming out of compensation. I felt it was important that the football club was compensated in some way for the opportunity it gave Jack all those years ago.

“He is heading to a league where he has a proven track record and if Jack can go out and score the goals in the Championship that we all know he can, it will be a great move for all parties.”