Calum Waters has said that he’ll always hold Dumbarton close to his heart, as the Kilmarnock defender prepares to face the Sons in the season opening Betfred Cup.
The left-back joined the Sons on loan from Celtic as a 19-year-old in the summer of 2015, making his senior debut with the club.
He scored the first of his four senior goals during his season at the Rock.
Waters is now starting his fourth season at Rugby Park, but after impressing on loan at St Mirren last season he looks to have finally cemented his place in Alex Dyer’s starting line-up - and he’s looking forward to taking on the Sons in autumn.
Calum told the Lennox Herald: “It’ll be good to go back to one of the clubs I used to play for. I really enjoyed it there.
“It was my first loan spell so I got my first senior game there.
“I learnt so much. You don’t realise how much you learn. You think you know it all then you go out on loan and realise that you actually know nothing!
“It’s a great club and I really enjoyed my time there.
“All the boys there made it such an enjoyable time too.
“I am still close to some of the boys to this day which shows how much of an impact it had on me.
“I learnt more there in a year than I did playing youth football for years.”
Calum won’t be the only former Sons man in Killie’s ranks, with fellow former loan stars Danny Rogers, Eamonn Brophy and Stuart Findlay all regulars for the Ayrshire side.
And another former Dumbarton favourite will also find himself lining up in opposition to the club, with Dom Thomas’ Dunfermline Athletic also drawn in Group E along with Clyde and Falkirk.
For Calum, that means a reunion with another close friend.
He continued: “It’ll be good coming up against Dom. He’s a great guy.
“Myself, Dom and Stuart Findlay all travelled in together for training and matches so we got really close. It’ll be good to see them again.”
Kilmarnock will give the Sons a tough workout, after proving their own credentials with a hard fought draw against champions Celtic last weekend.
And for Waters the result acted as evidence of his development since being released by the Parkhead club at the end of his loan spell with Dumbarton.
He added: “I got released when I was 20. You need to be a top player to make it there but playing against them and getting a good result definitely gave me a wee bit of satisfaction.
“I think everyone has doubts when they get released from somewhere. I certainly did.
“But the more experienced you get and the more you do it, you tell yourself that you can do it.
“Results like the one we got against Celtic are only going to benefit me.”
