Hearts defender Brad McKay has thanked head coach Robbie Neilson for the opportunity to say a fond farewell to supporters as he prepares to make an emotional summer exit from Tynecastle.
McKay, 22, will depart his boyhood heroes for St Johnstone after agreeing a pre-contract with the Perth outfit, however he was pitched into action for a much-changed Jambos side against Alloa on Wednesday evening.
After strolling through the 3-0 win over the part-timers, McKay was substituted by Neilson - a deliberate ploy to afford him a rousing reception from the 15,000-plus crowd in the capital.
He smiled: "It was good gesture from the gaffer to do that for me, I wasn't a case of him just wanting to bring me off. He said: 'There's a standing ovation for you, mate.'
"It was a really nice touch from Robbie [Neilson] and the supporters. I didn't think they were going to give me the ovation - so I turned around to clap them, just to make sure they did!
"I was tempted to milk it - take my shinpads off and pull the socks down and take my time. I really enjoyed that moment. If that was my last start in a Hearts jersey, then the supporters made it a special one."
Speaking in detail about his switch to McDiarmid Park for the first time, McKay admits it will be a wrench to leave the club he joined from Edinburgh City as a fresh-faced teenager in 2010.
However, after struggling to displace Danny Wilson and Alim Ozturk this term, he was not willing to let his heart rule his head as he looks to fulfil his potential.
He said candidly: "Leaving Hearts will be emotional. It has come in really quickly, I said to a couple of the boys: 'This is my last month at Hearts', and it just hit me.
"But all the hard work I have put in at Hearts has put me in good stead for a good move to St Johnstone. It will be a new challenge going there.
"It was a difficult decision to make and I thought long and hard about it. The easiest thing in the world would have been to keep my head down until the end of the season and just hope that I got a new contract - but that was never the right thing to do.
"I pushed the manager hard to let me know where my future was. He said he didn't know, but he was looking to stick with Danny [Wilson] and Alim [Ozturk], so I made the decision for myself.
"I don't want to be a bit-part player, I want to play games. The next step in my progress has to be playing every week."
McKay says his dream scenario would be an immediate return to Tynecastle on the opening day of next season - in the colours of St Johnstone.
He smiled: "I said to [Hearts' head of communications] Paul Kiddie that I might wear a wee half-and-half strip when I come back!
"I hope I get a good reception, they normally do with the guys who leave. You never know - it could be the first game of next season, back here, which would be a really nice one.
"I never wanted to leave on bad terms or chuck anything. I've worked hard all season and I think the gaffer appreciates that I've pushed the guys who are playing. I always wanted to leave on a high."
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