The Scotsman

Templeton dines out on Hamilton success

- By ANDREW SMITH

It is not just his career that David Templeton has brought out of hibernatio­n with his scintillat­ing form at Hamilton Accies this season. It is himself, with the winger revealing he became a virtual recluse as he struggled to cope with injury problems that he thought would result in a permanent exile from the game. It was a state of affairs that he confesses even put great strain on his marriage.

At 28, Templeton is once more looking like the topflght talent he did as a youngster at Hearts, before an illfated £700,000 move to then fourth-tier Rangers. Named the Premiershi­p player of the month for November this week – his first such award since receiving a young player honour in 2010 – he has just completed two back-to-back 90 minutes for the first time since March 2014. Hamilton, whom he helped to a first league win at Ibrox in 91 years with a goalscorin­g display three weeks ago, have not only got Templeton playing again since they offfered him a way back into the game in March. They have got him living again.

“I was pretty depressed,” he said of his time in the wilderness that followed him being freed by Rangers in May 2017. “I didn’t want to leave the house, do anything with my wife, go for dinner or anything. I just wanted to sit in and watch box sets, be by myself. It’s pretty depressing. I’ve watched them all.

“My friends wanted me to go out and watch the football and stuff but I would rather sit in by myself and watch the football. You don’t realise you are doing it and it’s not been until I’ve come back that I have looked back at the way I was.

“I don’t know how my wife [Robyn] put up with me, to be honest. She deserves a lot of credit for sticking by me because it must have been tough on her as well.

“It is a huge relief when you are back training with the boys and having a laugh – it makes a huge difference. Coming in and being amongst the banter was really good for us. Training, playing games and just being around and kicking a ball again is really enjoyable.”

His manager Martin Canning, pictured, said this week that the Lanarkshir­e club might now struggle to hold on to Templeton. Having signed a one-year deal with the club, he is free to talk to other teams as of next month. “I don’t know about that – the ball’s in their court and it’s up to them to get something sorted,” said Templeton. “If we could get something agreed, that would be good.

“I’m grateful to Accies, definitely. At the time they brought me in no-one else was willing to take that risk in case I broke down again. But the gaffer and [chairman] Ronnie Mcdonald took a huge gamble on me and, hopefully, it’s now paying off for them as much as it is for me.

“There hadn’t been any enquiries at all for me before Accies came in and I’m thankful that they took that chance with me.

“It has to be right for both parties and it depends on how many years. There are many factors to it because I don’t know how many years I have got. It could be my last contract.”

 ??  ?? David Templeton’s onfield revival has ‘given him his life back’.
David Templeton’s onfield revival has ‘given him his life back’.
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