'Other clubs might have axed me': Rice delighted with Accies deal

Hamilton boss Brian Rice has praised the club for standing by him through difficult times, and said he was delighted to sign a new contract with Accies.

Rice, his assistant Guillaume Beuzelin and coach Brian Potter have also signed new one-year rolling contracts, even though the team is battling against relegation at the bottom of the table with just four Premiership games left to play.

Accies supported Rice last season when he revealed that he was battling a gambling addiction and was banned for ten games for breaking rules on football betting.

The 57-year-old said that the backing he had from the club made it easy for him to commit to Accies.

“I didn’t need convincing to sign on again,” he said. “This is a unique club and fits in with everything I’m looking for in terms of how they look after their staff.

“I owe this club a huge debt of gratitude so it was an easy decision for me.

“They gave me the chance to become a head coach and were right behind me all the way with the problems that I’ve had.

“Right from the top, the fans, the players, the owners, the directors – they have all backed me and really looked after me.

“So for me it was a simple decision. It didn’t take me long to accept when the new deal was offered.

“Did I ever fear the club might not stand by me? One hundred per cent. But if there’s any club in Britain that will stand by you it’s this club.

“If I was at any other team, I probably wouldn’t be the head coach. But this is a unique club with fantastic people from top to the bottom.”

Allan Maitland, chairman of Accies, said the move brought certainty at a difficult time, and he confirmed that Rice and his staff would remain in place if the team failed to beat the drop.

He said: “There was an element of uncertainty because contracts were due to expire but the discussions have been going on for a couple of months and I’m delighted to say all three have now signed rolling contracts.

“That alleviates the worry of when do they were next going to end.

“I know it seems for some people like strange timing but this is a strange club and we like to do things differently here. We’re in a situation where I think our staff have been magnificent and our players have been magnificent.

“The spirit of the club, despite all the injuries and the Covid issues, has been fantastic.

“We’re still fighting to avoid relegation if that’s possible but even if we do get relegated, it won’t make any difference to our coaching and management staff.”