Jon McLaughlin says his Burton Albion career had come to a 'natural end' when he left in the summer.
The former Brewers keeper was released by the club in May following their successful bid to remain in the Championship - a bid aided by McLaughlin, who made 43 league appearances last term.
He had previously turned down two contract offers earlier in the campaign, and has since joined Scottish Premiership outfit Hearts, having recovered from an arm injury that required surgery in April.
In all, McLaughlin clocked up 133 league outings for Burton in helping them secure historic back-to-back promotions from League Two, remaining as first-choice keeper under Gary Rowett, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Nigel Clough.
But while he reflects on 'a fantastic three years' at the Pirelli Stadium, the Edinburgh-born keeper is relishing a new challenge in the top flight of Scottish football - and he says it is the right time to have left Albion.
"Leaving Burton wasn’t due to the injury," he told the Edinburgh Evening News.
"The gaffer, Nigel Clough, made it clear to me that that wasn’t the reason.
"I turned down a couple of contracts from Burton throughout the year.
"It’s a club that has risen very quickly and, unfortunately, that means they are still held back in terms of budgets, in terms of how long they feel they can survive at that level.
"There is a bit of a resistance there to really push on and progress.
"At that stage of my career, playing at that level, there were a lot of opportunities out there. With my experience, a lot of clubs were willing to give me a chance.
"There were a whole lot of reasons which meant that, one way or another, we were going to part ways. And I think they knew that as well.
"In their position, the route they had gone down, a loan signing helps them with the budget and they don’t have to commit long term beyond this season.
"With a lot of clubs now, that is the way of the world, especially with goalkeepers, because it means they can just do short-term loan deals.
Brewers' Deadline Day
"So it was a natural end there. But it was a fantastic three years.
"I got to work with three brilliant managers. I learned so much from each one.
"I had three fantastic seasons and now it’s great to have the chance of another important chapter."
