Lewis Smith leaving Hamilton for Livingston has Accies fans 'gutted' after 'one of their own' ends 15-year stint

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Emotional Lewis Smith has confirmed he is moving from Hamilton to Livingston - leaving Accies fans devastated at their hometown hero's exit.Lanarkshire Live Sport revealed earlier this week that the 24-year-old - who has been at Accies for nearly 15 years - was on the cusp of a switch to the Lions after meeting with Livi boss David Martindale.

And he has penned a two-year deal in West Lothian, with an option for the club to trigger a one-year extension if they reach the Premiership.

When his pre-contract agreement was announced by Livingston yesterday, Smith posted a heartfelt thank you to all those at Accies who have helped him over the years at New Douglas Park as he climbed his way up from the academy to the first team.Having played in the Premiership with his boyhood club, the winger also helped the team lift the SPFL Trust Trophy last season - the club's first cup win for 30 years - and signed off in style last week by scoring a stunning strike that saw off Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the play-offs to claim promotion back to the Championship.And Smith's post on X read: "This is such a difficult statement to write and I'm not quite sure where to begin.

Hamilton has been such a massive part of my life, from being a fan from birth, to joining the club at age 9, to playing in the first team and winning a trophy and now a promotion."It's been a really hard decision but I've been thinking about it for a while and I think it is time for me to move on, and I'm really looking forward to embracing a new challenge at Livingston.