Ellis Simms swapped Everton for Hearts in January to get more games under his belt.
Little did he expect to be facing the biggest one of his life four months later.
Simms struck a sensational opener in the 2-1 Scottish Cup semi final victory over Hibs to get a taste of the Hampden roar.
But he knows it will be nothing compared to what could lie in store when the Jambos run out against Rangers in front of a sell-out national stadium on Saturday for the Final.
It’s the stuff of dreams for the 21-year-old who has only one top team appearance under his belt for his parent club, albeit a Premier League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The big striker could even have double reason to celebrate this week if he can get his hands on a first ever winners’ medal - and the Toffees can save their Premier League skins.
One win from their last two games against Crystal Palace on Thursday and Arsenal on Sunday would be enough.
And Simms said: “Winning the cup and seeing Everton stay up would be brilliant, one hundred per cent.
"The boys are working hard down there to make the fans happy and stay up but for me the focus is all on playing in this final.
“It’s massive, we need to remain focused, train well and give ourselves the best chance.
“Coming here was mainly to play as many games as possible.
“But this has been a great run. Getting to the final has been a bonus and the aspirations are to go all the way now and win it.
“The semi-final goal was special. It helped get us to where we are.
“It was a great experience. The fans were great, the atmosphere was something else. It was a really great occasion.
“It’s gone now though, we want to win the final and not just be part of it. We have worked hard to get to where we are and we are really looking forward to the occasion.
“I’ve got family and friends coming up. They were there at the semi final so they will be there again in the final. Hopefully we get the same outcome.”
Simms suffered Wembley agony with Blackpool just a year ago when he helped the Seasiders clinch a place in the play-off final - only to miss the big day after suffering a training ground injury the day before.
The fact he scored a semi final double against Oxford only heightened the sense of frustration. Neil Critchley’s side went on to beat Lincoln 2-1 in the final and Simms ensured he was part of the celebrations.
But that’s the closest he’s come to a winners’ medal - something he’s determined to put right on Saturday.
He said: “This will be a big game for me - the biggest game of my career so far.
“The closest I’ve been to this was the play-off final with Blackpool. I missed out through injury but I was watching. It was a great day to clinch promotion.
“I missed Wembley because I got injured the day before the match which was hugely frustrating.
“So this weekend is huge. I want to win, everyone here wants to win. We are hungry and we will be ready for this game.”
Silverware would put the seal on a stunning season for Robbie Neilson ’s side who had third spot wrapped up before the split and ended up 13 points clear of fourth placed Dundee United.
Despite that, and unlike in the semi final against Hibs, they are huge underdogs with the bookies - even though Rangers face a physically and emotionally draining Europa League Final only three days beforehand.
Simms will tune in to Gers’ biggest game in 14 years. But he doesn’t care if they win or lose.
He said: “We are just focused on ourselves. We are aware they have the Europa League Final but we don’t want to look to much into that because they will want to win both games.
“We just need to focus on what we do best to give us the best chance.
“We are underdogs this time which makes it a bit different. We will just do everything we possibly can, work hard, train well and give ourselves the best chance to come out on top.”
Whether the season ends on a high on Saturday or not, Simms will return to Goodison for the summer before evaluating his prospects for next season.
With two years to run on his Everton deal the England U20 international still holds out hope of making the grade in the Premier League.
But Neilson has also made clear his desire to book a return trip to Tynecastle next season for the powerful hitman who has struck seven goals for the Jambos including two in the Scottish Cup.
Simms said: “It’s totally down to Everton, they own me at the moment.
“There’s a loan scout who comes to games sometimes and keeps in touch. They are happy with my progress, it’s nice to hear. I’m an Everton player.
“But my focus is on the final and then the summer comes round and I’ll have a couple of weeks to recover and see what the future holds.”
