Elgin City record signing Kane Hester says Borough Briggs ‘feels like home’ as he reveals joy at starting second spell with Black and Whites after completing move from Montrose
Kane Hester says he can’t wait to pull on a black and white shirt again after completing his return to Elgin City.
City outlined their intents by making the 29-year-old their statement signing in the January window, paying a record fee to bring Hester back on a three-and-a-half year deal from Montrose.
Hester was delighted when manager Allan Hale made contact about the move, and revealed that the City boss might have been shocked by the player’s enthusiasm for a move back to Elgin.
“I don't know if he was maybe taken back with how keen I was,” Hester said. “I don't think he knows how much the club meant to me.
“It was quite quick, how fast the negotiation went along.”
Hester scored 87 goals in 150 starts and 11 sub appearances for Elgin between 2019 and 2023, before leaving in a big money move to Montrose.
Although a regular scorer at Links Park, the Angus club was willing to listen to offers for his services and Elgin made their move.
“I can’t wait to get started again at Elgin,” he said. “It's probably just the place as a whole, the fans the stadium, just everything about it it just feels like home to me.
“Obviously I enjoy scoring goals the most, who doesn’t, and I'm just excited to see all these old faces again and get back to doing what I do.”
Hester scored 29 goals in his final season at Elgin when the club had to stave off relegation worries despite coming within a whisker of reaching the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.
Hester recalled: “It was a bit of a struggle season, but don't get me wrong, the first six months of that season, at times I thought we were fantastic.
“I just think teams found the way to play against us and it really harmed us because we didn't have another way to play.
“These are all questions that I've asked Allan (Hale), how we're going to play if a team adapts and changes to the way we're playing it.
“I was just blown away by the amount of tactics and knowledge that he's got behind him, it just really impressed me.”
There was understood to be interest from other east coast clubs in Hester, but the Forfar-based player is happy to put in the miles for a successful second spell with City.
“That would have been certainly the easy option (to sign for a team closer to home) but I think I don't want easy.
“I wanted Elgin so I got what I wanted and like I said to the missus if I've got my heart set on something I'll always go for that and I'll do it no matter what.
“There’s a lot of the same boys but a lot of fresh faces that I'm excited to get on that pitch with.”
Hester may not step straight into the starting line-up at Clyde tomorrow.
He added: “I'd assume I'll be on the bench and ready to make an impact but I just can't wait to put that top on again.”
