He’s been to the highest heights in football with the likes of Nottingham Forest – but surviving in the Scottish Premiership with Hamilton would be ‘like climbing Everest with your flip flops on’ for Brian Rice.
Signed by Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest, silverware with Falkirk, coaching stints with big clubs like Hibs, it would be nothing compared to keeping Accies in the league. Just when it looked like they were done after eight consecutive seasons, a 2-1 win over St Mirren on Saturday – while still bottom – puts Hamilton’s fate in their own hands.
Nottingham Forest achievements would pale in comparison to keeping Hamilton up. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Victories over Ross County and Kilmarnock will at the very least secure an 11th place finish, potentially 10th place and guaranteed safety awaiting them. Hit by all sorts of injury problems this season, Rice knows the scale of such an achievement.
He said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have come and won. It’s a massive result. I said before the game we needed to do what we needed to do then than look at the situation. Ross County won and Kilmarnock lost and it’s going to go down to the last game. You can only ask for things to be in our hands, we deserved to win the match and we prepare for Ross County next now.
“How big an achievement would it be? It would be like climbing Everest with your flip flops on. That’s in terms of everyone. I’m part of the club so that’s me too. It would be the biggest achievement I’ve ever managed with what we’ve been through this season.
“People throw their bodies on the line every week and that’s what we need. St Mirren have a really good squad with really good players and really good young players coming through. It’s not belief in the squad I need, it’s getting my quality players on the pitch that’s been the problem. My flair players have all been injured. I can’t ask for anymore than that though.”
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