Stephen O'Donnell admits the security of a two-year deal at Motherwell has him on a high - after spending this time last year "sitting on his backside panicking" about where his future lay.
The 28-year-old defender signed a two-year contract extension this week to cap a whirlwind year that saw him leave Kilmarnock at the end of last season in the hope of a move down south only to find himself in limbo, to joining the Steelmen and helping Scotland reach the European Championships.
O'Donnell, who started the season training with Hamilton Accies and then signed a short-term deal at Fir Park to tide him over until Christmas, has twice extended his Fir Park deal this season.
He agreed an extension in January to keep him at the club until the end of this season and now the future is much more secure for the Steelmen's vice-captain as he is tied to the club until summer 2023.
The Wishaw native is also expected to land a place in the Scotland squad for the postponed Euro 2020 Championships in June and he admitted it's a far cry from the predicament he found himself in this time last year.
O'Donnell, whose side face Morton in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup tonight, said: “I'm a bit more relaxed this year. I was sitting on my backside in my house panicking [last year], thinking, ‘when should I sign, should I sign here, should I not sign here? Or down south?'
"Motherwell offered me a short-term contract and it gave security short term.
"It gave me the chance to stay at home and play in Europe again, because when I was at Kilmarnock we didn't do ourselves justice in that competition.
“It was nice to get the run in Europe and hopefully we can bring that back.
"It was just about getting the balance. Look, I would always have loved to try to to play in the Championship [in England] if I got an opportunity.
"That didn’t arise at the time and I had a decision to make - do I sign for Motherwell and be happy or do I risk not having anything?
"It's a tough decision and it’s one I have not regretted one bit.
"I've loved every minute I've been here. It's probably the most comfortable I've been in a dressing room and it's just disappointing we haven't performed as well as we'd like to.
"But that will hopefully come for the last month of the season and next season.
“It was always the intention to try and extend it after conversations at Christmas time. It was just a case of dotting the I's and crossing the T's.
“These things never seem to be as simple as you like to think they will be. But it was great to get it sorted and I’m looking forward to just focusing on the next month and trying to bring more consistency to the team that, as a squad we've lacked this season, and hopefully we can do that.
"If we can start that with a good win against Morton, that would be great."
A local lad, the former Wishaw Wycombe Wanderers player is delighted for himself and his family to get a deal close to him that suits all parties amid an uncertain world.
Before the pandemic struck, it was clear O'Donnell felt his future lay down south but he has no regrets about how it has panned out and is hoping to lead Motherwell to success this season and beyond.
He added: "Sometimes in football you don’t really know where you are going to be or you are not guaranteed where you are going to be and, fortunately I have a bit of security close to home. You don’t often get that.
“With football, every single decision you face is balancing up the practical side of life, having family and friends close by, but then you also want to try to get that progression in your career. It’s trying to get that balance and I certainly feel, speaking to the manager, that we can strike that balance.
“I signed here in the summer hoping to be in the top six at least. That hasn’t happened and that will again be the aim next season.
"We've got a very big squad but maybe some injuries have hampered us this season but hopefully we can get organised for next season and go again.
"We want to make sure we finish the season strongly for the momentum, for the feel-good factor - fans will be more optimistic - and we want to give everyone that going into the summer holidays.
"The Scottish Cup is an added incentive, a very strange predicament that it's happening this late in the season.
"You'd be thinking you were talking about going to Hampden if you are playing in the Scottish Cup at this stage.
"We are looking forward to hopefully putting a run together, but Morton will be a tough side and we need to make sure we do everything we can to get the win."
O'Donnell was asked if any clubs in England had showed an interest in signing him and he added: "I didn’t even look into it.
"There’s more important things hopefully, if I stay fit, in the summer and then maybe see what happens after that.
"But I am happy at Motherwell and content, so there’s no issues.”
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