Raith Rovers: Dylan Easton reveals family reasons behind his contract decision

The 30-year-old fans’ favourite, who joined Raith after leaving Airdrieonians two years ago, scored 12 goals and had six assists in 47 appearances for Ian Murray’s team last term, as they finished Scottish Championship runners-up.

But the expiry of his contract on May 31 led to Easton being linked with several clubs – including Premiership outfit Motherwell – and speculation that the player could be about to depart Stark’s Park.

When asked why he opted to stay in Kirkcaldy instead of moving on, Easton told the Fife Free Press: "My fiancee Laura is in the middle of doing Paramedic Science at Queen Margaret University in Musselburgh and she's got another year to go.

"We just sat down and looked at all the pros and cons in terms of travelling and the fact that my two younger kids - younger son Harlen (7) and daughter Honey (4) – go to the local school and nursery as well (Easton’s older boy Dylan Junior lives with his ex-partner in Edinburgh).

"So signing with Raith just made complete sense in terms of getting back for the kids coming up from school.

"I stay close by in Dunfermline and if it was a case of moving on elsewhere, wherever the other offers were, it would have been a lot more difficult to try and get around these things. My priority is my family.

"And I just felt that the relationship I've built at Raith with the players, the staff, the fans, it just feels like home.

"Obviously I've worked with the manager long enough that it brings the best out of me when I'm playing and enjoying my football and there's no better place to be.

"As soon as we had that chat back from my holidays and I phoned Pottsy (Raith technical director John Potter) and said: 'Come on let's get it done' it was pretty much straightforward.”

After last season’s narrow miss on promotion – Rovers finished just six points behind Championship winners Dundee United before seeing off Partick Thistle in the Premiership play-off semi-finals then losing to Ross County in the final – Easton wants to go one better this time.

He said: "Last year we probably over achieved. In the changing room and with the squad we had, we all believed that we could do well in the league.

"But the objective for us at the start of the season was just to try and get in the play-offs and we did that.

"With Dundee United, the size of the club and their budget, they were expected to run away.

"But once we got into that play-off position we ended up pushing them all the way.

"It was a really successful season and the aim this year is definitely to go and win the league.

"Dundee United aren't in it this year so it's probably wide open for quite a lot of teams.

"There are a lot of good teams this year, a lot of teams that have signed really well.

"Livingston coming down, they will be looking to bounce straight back up but it's never that easy.

"You've seen it over the years, the teams that come down always find it difficult.

"But there will be a number of teams in the same position thinking this is their year.

"Partick Thistle have been up there for a number of years and they have maintained a really good squad and signed well. There's obviously Ayr and Dunfermline in the mix.

"We know how difficult it's going to be but it's the old cliche for us, we've just got to look after ourselves and take it one game at a time.

"It's certainly an exciting league again.

"We know it's not going to be easy, it's going to be difficult, it always is in the Championship every single year.

"For us the ambition is to challenge for promotion and that's not going to change.”