KELTY HEARTS boss Michael Tidser has revealed that he thought summer signing Lewis Moore was possibly ready to quit the game.

The former Heart of Midlothian player, who came through the Tynecastle club's youth system, moved to New Central Park in the summer after leaving Queen's Park, and scored his first goal for them in their win at Montrose on the opening day of the League One season.

He is a player that player / manager Tidser knows well, with the pair having been team-mates with Falkirk, with whom Moore had a loan spell in the 2019/20 campaign.

The 25-year-old made 28 appearances in two seasons with Queen's Park before joining Kelty, which he described as a "big opportunity" following a "difficult" last few seasons.

Moore made his first team debut with the Jam Tarts as a 17-year-old in 2016, and went on to play 26 times for them in total, 18 of which came in the top flight.

He had loan spells with Cowdenbeath, Forfar Athletic and Arbroath, as well as Falkirk, before leaving the capital for Queen's Park, and Moore said after arriving at New Central Park that "the past few seasons, it's been difficult with different things, injuries obviously affecting playing time, so I'm going to come here and hopefully play every week".

Tidser is full of belief in Moore's ability and, speaking to Press Sport, said it would have been a "travesty" had he elected to walk away from the game.

"Wee Moorey's probably still catching his fitness. He was out injured for long time - 600-odd days or something, so I hear - but it was important when I brought him to the club that I said to him, look, you're a good player, I believe in you, and come in and show me," he said.

"He's been excellent to be fair. He's a really good lad in the changing room as well, so that's half the battle, so I'm really pleased with him.

"Moorey's a confidence player. I've been there before, where injuries start to creep up and, before you know it, you're two, three, four months down the line and you're still injured.

"When I was trying to sign him, I remember speaking to him early and saying what are you going to do? I genuinely think, in his mind, he was maybe going to walk away from football which, to me, would be a travesty really because he's still a young lad.

"I said to him come in, get a feel for the place, see what you think, we'll try and help you as much as we can contract wise, and he's been great.

"I've played with him previously at Falkirk, so I know about his qualities, it's just about, touch wood, keeping him injury free, and he'll be a big player for us this season."

When asked further about his comment that Moore may have thought about quitting football, Tidser continued: "I think he was down in the dumps to be honest with you.

"I said Moorey, look, come in here and I'll look after you. I'll take care of you as a team-mate, as your manager, and I think that probably gave him that bit of belief.

"It would be a shame for someone like that to walk away from the game. I think more mentally he was done with football, in the sense of injuries, and maybe lack of form when he was playing, trying to play catch up.

"It's been a clean start for him. That's the other side of football that people don't see, but I spoke to him privately, and he's really enjoying his football again, which is music to my ears, and long may it continue."