East Kilbride Thistle signing 17 years in the making for Jamie Longworth

Jamie Longworth has revealed signing for East Kilbride Thistle’s first team has been 17 years in the making after he checked in at the Showpark this week.

New Jags gaffer Garry O’Hanlon has pulled off a bit of a signing coup by enticing the former Stranraer and East Kilbride FC striker to his hometown club in the West of Scotland Football League.

The pair once played together for Thistle’s under-21s almost two decades ago and now they have been reunited as their football journeys come full circle.

And Longworth, who spent the past two seasons at WOSFL rivals St Roch’s, has explained how his move to the Jags has been 17 years in the making.

He said: “I actually played for EK Thistle under-21s when I was 17 and Brian McMullan [the Jags chairman] was the manager then.

“He asked me to sign for the first team but I went to Kilbirnie instead because Chris Erskine is my big mate and we both went there.

“But it’s amazing that, here we are now, 17 years later and I’m part of the team.

“I met Brian again on Saturday there so it’s funny how it has worked out.

“It was a cracking team we had in the 21s, looking back. Big Garry was there, Stephen McClung was there, Sean Winter and Paul Woods. It just wasn’t quite the time for me then but this is the right time for me to be at Thistle.

“It actually almost happened a couple of years ago before I signed for to St Roch’s. I spoke to [former EK boss] Alan Paterson but I’d already agreed to sign for St Roch’s so I had to say thanks, but no thanks that time as well.

“But I’m excited to get started.”

Former Stranraer and Stenhousemuir star Longworth is the latest exciting summer signing at the Showpark, with former Clyde and Montrose midfielder David Gray and experienced ex-EKFC and Wishaw