Rabin Omar feels his spell with Elgin City was the driving force behind him winning a move into full-time football with Championship side Morton.
Midfielder Omar earned a move to Cappielow earlier this summer, having impressed in his two-year stint with Elgin.
Despite holding two degrees, in pharmacology and sports science, Omar will now make football his livelihood after signing a one-year deal with the Ton.
Omar feels the move was made possible by his development as a creative force in Gavin Price’s Elgin side, after making the switch from Annan Athletic in 2018.
Omar said: “Sometimes I reflected about whether I made the right decision to move to Elgin to begin with.
“I think ultimately it was the right decision, given the style of football we played up there.
“Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t win every game and we weren’t the best team every week, but we tried to play football every week.
“That’s not something I was always used to, it’s something I developed as I was there.
“I think going to Elgin developed me technically and gave me the confidence to be a creative player in that team.
“In a league where most teams tend to play direct, at Elgin we were told to play out from the back.
“I look back on my time there and I think I developed my football to a level that allowed me to make the step up so comfortably.”
Omar could make his debut when Morton host fellow second-tier side Queen of the South in the Betfred Cup group stage on October 6, with the 23-year-old pleased with the way he has settled into his new surroundings so far.
Omar added: “Everything was up in the air when everything got shut down. Nobody knew when football was going to be back.
“The uncertainty was what made everyone nervous, but it has worked out pretty well to be honest.
“I was able to keep myself really fit throughout lockdown to get myself ready for when the opportunity came around.
“It is satisfying, but at the same time I’m not resting on my laurels. I know I need to go in and build on what I have done so far.
“In my opinion it’s just the next step, and I need to come in and try to do really well here. I’m loving it.”
Omar was born in Holland, but has lived in Scotland since the age of 10, however, he qualifies to play for Iraq due to his father.
Omar last year trained with Iraq’s under-23 side, and hopes his latest move could boost his chances of a senior call-up.
He added: “It’s only going to help my push towards it.
“It was quite difficult for them to get to Elgin games, but it will be easier now I’m in the Championship, so hopefully I can do well for the team, get a good run of games going, perform well and score a few goals as well.”
