Raith Rovers striker Jamie Gullan tells of gratitude to Gala Fairydean Rovers for lessons learned during loan spell

Jamie Gullan, centre, with manager Steven Noble, left, and Billy Miller at Gala Fairydean Rovers in 2017 (Photo: Gala Fairydean Rovers)

Gullan, now 23 and challenging for promotion to the Scottish Premiership with the Fifers, was a rookie forward at Hibernian back in 2017 when he was loaned out to the Galashiels side, and today he looks back on that stint as being part of a vital learning curve for him.

He told the Southern Reporter: “It was my first taste of men's football.

“Their manager was Steven Noble. Obviously going from playing under-18 reserve football to men’s football was a big step up.

Jamie Gullan playing for Raith Rovers against Queen's Park, another of his old sides, at Ochilview Park in Stenhousemuir earlier this month (Photo: Ian Cairns)

“Playing against experienced boys was a good test, and looking back it was a good first taste of men’s football and it definitely helped me to improve my game.

“It was an eye-opener as to the way you had to be physically and fitness-wise.

“You learn a lot from playing against older people when you're younger.

“That definitely was a good first loan move and it was a really good club filled with really good people that were there to help.

“I was on loan there from August 2017 to January 2018, I think, and I got 10 or 15 games under my belt, scoring three or four goals.”

The Edinburgh-born former Heart of Midlothian youth player later went on loan to Queen’s Park, from January to May 2018, and three times to Raith – from February to May 2019, August of that year to January 2020 and February to May of 2021 – the Kirkcaldy side then signing him up on a two-and-a-half year deal in January of this year.