TEMPLETON IS HAPPY TO PAY BACK SAVIOURS

DAVID TEMPLETON claims he is repaying a debt to Hamilton by firing them ever-closer to safety and insists he will not make a decision on his future until the club are safe from the drop.

The 29-year-old had been ten months without a club after leaving Rangers before the Lanarkshire outfit handed him a lifeline last March and has played a key role in keeping their heads above water this term — scoring the second in yesterday’s crucial 2-0 home win over Ross County.

Templeton is out of contract in the summer and is already fielding offers with a move abroad holding considerable appeal, but he will not agree anything until he knows in which league Accies will be playing in.

‘I’ll always owe (chairman) Ronnie MacDonald and the gaffer for giving me the chance here,’ said Templeton. ‘At the time, no one else would take a chance on me. Hopefully, I’m paying it back to them.

‘I’m not sure what I’m doing yet with regards to my future. I’ve made decisions before which haven’t worked out.

‘I’ll need to sit with my wife and make sure it’s the right thing for us. There’s interest and I have to make the right decision, whether it’s staying here or moving on.

‘My loyalty to Hamilton will come into it, but I have to make sure we’re safe. I don’t want to go down a division.

‘I’m doing everything I can to keep us up and, after that, I’ll look at it. Going abroad is something I’ve always wanted to do. If something comes up that suits, I’ll have to think seriously about it, but I’m enjoying it here.’

Accies took a deep breath when Darian MacKinnon kicked Jamie Lindsay in the head on 17 seconds. County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell stated MacKinnon should have been sent off but Hamilton boss Martin Canning insisted that there was no malice in MacKinnon’s actions.

‘Darian hasn’t meant to hurt him,’ said Canning. ‘He’s looking at the ball. His foot high, but I think a yellow card is probably right for it.

‘I’ve said things even themselves out and we’ve been due a break. If that’s one that has gone for us, we’ll gladly take it.’