Hamilton Accies are looking forward to a third successive season in Scottish football’s top flight because they share the same attributes as England’s new champions according to the man whose goal guaranteed their survival.

Carlton Morris slotted the eighth minute goal at Dens Park on Saturday that brought the win which, allied to Kilmarnock’s defeat to Partick Thistle, ensured that his side avoided involvement in the Premiership play-offs.

And the striker who is on loan from ex-Accies boss Alex Neill’s Norwich City, claimed he had been sure that would happen since he first met up with his new team-mates.

“I can’t say personally I am overly surprised that Hamilton will be in the Premiership next season. From the moment I arrived here last summer I knew this was a special group,” he said.

“The club may not have too many resources but our quality and team spirit were too much to go down.

“How are we special? I want to say we are similar to Leicester City, in our togetherness and how tight knit a group we are.

“There are no divas here, no superstars who think they are it. We are all on a humble level and that’s what got us there.”

He suggested that they probably should have made it easier on themselves in the closing stages of the season.

“We had a few weeks on the trot when we didn’t get the rub of the green. We’ve missed penalties in the last minute, decisions have gone against us at times and those added up to put us in this position,” Morris pointed out.

“If we’d had more luck we could have finished in a higher position, but it doesn’t matter to me. The main thing is we are staying up.”

They have understandably taken particular satisfaction from proving the pundits wrong, too.

“I don’t usually read papers but I read one and 10 out of 10 journalists were tipping Hamilton to go down,” said Morris.

“But that’s football, you can’t judge it easily and that’s why so many people love football. We stuck together and we are staying up, which is great.”

The 20-year-old, who has previously only made a handful of first team appearances during previous loan spells at Oxford United and York City, also looks set to return to the English game extolling the virtues of taking the chance to get competitive experience north of the border.

“It’s been brilliant,” he said.

“I’ve got 35 games under my belt at a really good level. Some of the teams up here are top teams with excellent players. There’s a lot of talent and I feel I have grown as a player and a person.

“I’m going back a better player, 100 per cent. I’ve improved football-wise but also mentally and experience-wise.”