Hamilton boss Brian Rice thanked the club’s board after captain Brian Easton signed a new one-year contract.

The 33-year-old defender will remain at the Lanarkshire outfit until at least the end of next season.

Easton, an Accies academy graduate, has made 175 appearances for Hamilton across three spells, the most recent of which began in 2019 when he signed from St Johnstone having previously also played for Burnley and Dundee.

Ahead of the trip to Livingston on Saturday, Rice told the club’s official website: “Brian is a fantastic professional to have in the squad.

“Every training session he sets a high standard and this season he has been a fantastic leader on the pitch.

“Coming through here he understands the values and the ethos of the club and I would like to thank the board for their efforts to keep him here.”

Easton said: “I am absolutely delighted to get this done. I love this club and for me there was never any doubt about where I see my future.

“This season has been challenging but I think we are in a good place just now.

“In the last couple of weeks we have been playing well and we want to keep that going in the games that are left.”

At his media conference earlier on Friday, Rice had revealed the season is over for injured duo Andy Winter and Shaun Want.

Attacker Winter picked up a cartilage injury in the warm-up before the goalless draw against Aberdeen last week and could require an operation, while defender Want – out since October with a thigh injury – will start looking to next season for his comeback.

Rice said: “Andy Winter’s is serious, Andy’s is a cartilage, we have seen the specialist and now we have to determine what is the best thing for him to do.

“Worst-case scenario he needs an operation. He needs to get something done to it, we are not sure of the timescale but Andy’s season is done.

“Shaun Want’s season is done, he has seen a specialist as well, so he needs to start preparing for pre-season.

“Brian Easton got a scan (knee), we are going to see how he is today. He has not trained since the match last Saturday.

“Nathan Thomas won’t figure, he will be out for quite a while. He injured the ankle he hurt previously in his first game back, and we know Marios Ogkmpoe is out.

“Lewis Smith is still not training and it will be next season before David Templeton is back, so we don’t have our problems to seek but we have 17 or 18 bodies all ready to go.”

Rice’s side, one point above bottom club Kilmarnock with a game in hand, have lost once in six games.

David Martindale’s Livingston are without a win in six, with only one draw amid that dip in form.

However, Rice is bracing himself for a tough test from the Betfred Cup finalists.

He said: “If we get a win it will give us more breathing space (over Kilmarnock) but Livingston will be up for this game

“No matter what form they are in, you know what you are going to get and you need to stand up to it and need to deal with it and go and cause them problems.

“We are under no illusions how difficult this is going to be.”