Hamilton’s Mikey Devlin says that new teammate Massimo Donati will relish the hot reception that awaits him when he makes his league debut for the club at Ibrox this weekend.
The former Celtic midfielder has made no secret of his ongoing affection for the champions, but Devlin says that the Italian will solely be thinking about Hamilton as they go all out to shock Rangers.
The Accies captain has been impressed by Donati since his arrival at the club, and says he can add the experience that has been missing from Martin Canning’s youthful side since Alex Neil left for Norwich.
With Donati in the line-up, Devlin is confident that Hamilton can upset the odds amidst what is sure to be a raucous atmosphere as Rangers make their return to the top-flight.
“That won't faze Massimo,” Devlin said. “He will thrive on that. Celtic is still close to his heart. He had a great time there and I think he will look forward to playing at Ibrox and also at Parkhead.
"Massimo has made a huge difference. We had lost a few players and Massimo's quality, his experience and personality has given us a big boost. We can all learn from him. As a centre back he sits in front of the defence and makes the game so simple.
"It's been a real lift for everyone and hopefully he can be a big player for us this season.
"He's been a real calming influence for us. I wasn't sure what he would be like but he is quiet, down to earth, under the radar. It's not his style to act like a big name. He is composed, he is quality and he tries to use that to help the team.
"After the previous manager left, we also lost Tony Andreu but Martin Canning was playing. Now Massimo has come in he has added experience.
“Ali Crawford and Darian McKinnon can play there but Massimo offers something different. He's six foot two and in great condition and he has a lot to offer. It's a massive plus for us.
“Everyone in our changing room is really excited about the game. It's a great opportunity to show what we can do. We want to impose ourselves on the league early on.
“There's no pressure on us at all. We have a game plan, we will stick to it and we will try and take something from the game.
“We are under no illusions that it will be a hard game, but it's what you play for. You want to play in the biggest stadiums in front of the biggest crowds and against the best players.
“It doesn't get much bigger than Rangers at Ibrox on the opening day of the season. If you're not in the game for those kind of matches then you shouldn't be playing football. Personally I'm ecstatic about it and we will be ready.”
There won’t be many who will give Hamilton a prayer as they take to the field to face Mark Warburton’s men, but being written off is hardly a new concept for the Lanarkshire side to deal with.
The week prior to the new league campaign heralds the now annual pundit predictions of certain relegation for the New Douglas Park men, but they have defied those critics to remain in the league for the last two seasons.
As they enter their third-consecutive year in the top division, Devlin says that he and his teammates are relishing the chance to once again make the doomsayers eat their words.
"We are used to it,” he said. “We expect it. We are always the smallest club in the league and we are always written off.
“That only makes it sweeter when we do our job and stay up.”
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