Irvine Vics are on the lookout for a new skipper after defender Daniel Martins completed a shock move abroad.
The 20-year-old centre-half has signed for Polish lower league minnows Watra Białka Tatrzańska after impressing during trials.
The leftfield move means the youngster is now plying his trade in Liga IV in the fifth tier of Polish football.
But he's already set his sights on quickly climbing the divisions as he he looks to forge a career in the Central European nation.
He told Ayrshire Football News: "I am at this team for a short while and will be trying out for teams in the higher leagues in the summer.
"I have played 90 minutes in my first three league matches and won two and drawn one, helping to take the team out of the relegation zone."
The former Alloa Athletic and Greenock Morton starlet flew out to Poland in February after the West of Scotland League went into shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He turned out for another lower league side - Cosmos Nowotaniec - before signing for Watra who are based in the village of Białka Tatrzańska in southern Poland, close to the border with Slovakia.
He added: "Scotland was in lockdown and there was opportunities for full-time first team football so I was never going to turn that down.
"I love football and that's all I want to do and it really seemed like a great opportunity to get my name out there and get experience. It is working out well."
Vics boss Brian McLuckie, who plucked Martins from U19s football last summer, said: "We'd have liked to have held on to Daniel but he wants to try something new and we hope it works out for him.
"He's a young boy but it's clear he has good leadership qualities.
"When we brought him in last summer, we threw him in at the deep-end and gave him the captaincy in Michael Holden's absence.
"He did well for a young lad and he was very committed. He would travel up and down from Glasgow for training and matches.
"It looks like the opportunity for a trial came up via an agent. We would never stand in the way of a player's development and we wish him all the best for the future."
Martins added: "I would like to thank Irvine Victoria, Brian and his assistant Mark McCann for the faith they showed me and the support they gave me during my time at Vics."
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