ROSS JENKINS' football career has taken him from the highs of the English Premiership to the lows of League Two and through a fair chunk of Europe in between. But as he reflects on his unconventional journey through Romania and Bulgaria that has eventually led him to the Scottish Premiership with Hamilton Academical, the Englishman is resolute in the assertion that no one has done more for him than two of men who are now among the most prominent in Scottish football.
Jenkins may not be a household name in Scotland as yet, and while he hopes that will change in the near future, he is content that he has made an impression on both Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and SFA performance director Malky MacKay during his formative years at Watford.
"Brendan is a friend,” said Jenkins. “I played under him at Watford and he brought me on a lot. I give him a lot of credit for where I am today.
"I have kept in touch with Brendan over the years and he has always been there if I needed anything. He has given me a hand over the years and I knew I could always call him. That's nice. Not all managers are like that - but Brendan is one.
"Malky was also a big influence on me and I spoke to him not long ago. I was playing with him in the reserves, then he became my manager. He gave me my debut and I need to give him a lot of credit.
"Malky is a good guy, we got on really well. He was coaching, and he would sometimes step in for games. He was club captain and I saw him play and train. It was an easy transition. He is a top manager.”
It is no indictment on Hamilton to say that Jenkins, all going well, could have been playing at a higher level.
But after falling out of love with football towards the end of his time at Watford, and verging on resenting the game while at Crawley Town, Jenkins took a chance that turned around his career and reignited his passion for the sport.
“When I left [Watford], opportunities were slow,£ he said. "Instead of wasting time, I went to play some games at Crawley but wasn’t enjoying my football or the training.. I needed a change. The best way to do that is to take yourself out the comfort zone and go abroad.
“I had a phone call from a friend asking if I’d play abroad. I wasn’t sure. He said it was Romania. I said: Are you serious? I didn’t know anything about the league. He told me I’d like it, it’s good football, and I really enjoyed it. The language barrier was difficult at times but the football, style of play was really good. So, after that I wanted to stay abroad – hence Bulgaria.
“Again, it was difficult with the language, but the football was good. And if you’re playing in a team enjoying it then the language doesn’t matter. It’s the best thing I’ve done so far.”
Before his nomadic career brought him to Lanarkshire, Jenkins suffered relegation with Norwegian side Viking, and he is hoping a win over Rangers this afternoon can help him avoid the same fate with Hamilton.
The Englishman has enjoyed his travels to date, but he would love to now put roots down a little closer to home.
"Hamilton is exciting enough,” he said. “I need to tell people to slow down when the speak but that's it.
"It's good for myself, my career, club and family. I am here to play in the Premiership - the top league in Scotland. Some people think this isn't a great league, but they need to realise there are top teams in it.
"I am here to play against the likes of Rangers and hopefully we can do a job on them.”
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