Captain Brian Easton wants to bookend his Hamilton career with another promotion next season.

The defender came through the youth set-up at Accies and, along with fellow illustrious youngsters James McArthur and James McCarthy, won the then Scottish First Division championship in 2008 to reach the top flight.

Now aged 33, Easton – in his third spell with the Lanarkshire club after also playing with Burnley, Dundee and St Johnstone – is set to return to the second tier of Scottish football next season with the Lanarkshire club following a 2-1 defeat by Ross County in Dingwall on Wednesday night.

Premiership bottom side Hamilton need to beat Kilmarnock by nine goals on Sunday to leapfrog Killie into the play-off spot.

Easton, looking ahead to next season and having started his coaching badges with a view to the longer-term future, said:  “We won the league in 2008, a long time ago.

“I know what it takes to win a league which hopefully will be helpful.

“I know how difficult it can be – it is a totally different challenge to staying up in the Premiership.

“The mix we had of the young players coming through at the time, myself and the two James’ and other young boys who had a bit of experience the season before, there was a real feeling going into that season that we were going to have a real go at it.

“No one expected us to go up but we were feeling confident about ourselves.

“The experience some of the players have had this year will stand them in good stead next season it is just about getting that balance with experienced players, helping the young boys.

“We know how hard the Championship is.

“It is a really tough league but for me, that will be the target next year. We have to think positive.

“The players we have here and the young players coming through, it is going to be great for us, we will go into next season with a strong squad.”

Easton wants to finish this season on a high with three points against Kilmarnock, who themselves need a win to have any chance of escaping the play-off spot.

He said: “Me and the other boys were devastated with that result on Wednesday night.

“On Thursday I had a day of feeling sorry for yourself and feeling down but it is important that you don’t stay that way for long, you look forward and build yourself back up.

“When you are feeling sorry for yourself and things are not going your way the only way to go is to look forward and bounce back from it.

“We still have a game left, we want to win it.

“It is important that we put on a good performance, win the game, hopefully get a clean sheet.”