Like many, Ross Matthews was born into supporting Heart of Midlothian.

The Raith Rovers midfielder started particularly young though, getting his first season ticket at the age of two when his dad started taking him to games.

Now the 28-year-old is preparing to take on his boyhood heroes on Wednesday night in Kirkcaldy as part of his testimonial celebrations at Raith Rovers.

Matthews is now in his 12th year at Stark’s Park, making him part of a rare breed of player who stays at a club long enough for such recognition – although it makes it two in two years for Rovers after Lewis Vaughan celebrated his last season.

He is marking it after 11 years instead of 10 due to the knock-on effect of covid and renovations carried out to the stadium when the new owners took over last year. Vaughan’s was similarly delayed.

The wait is almost over and Matthews is gearing up for his big day against the team he has supported for as long as he can recall.

"Ever since I can remember, I was born into being a Hearts fan,” said Matthews. “I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing!

“I've had a season ticket since I was two years old. My dad used to take me to every Hearts game.

“There are so many photos of me when I was younger playing in the back garden in my Hearts kit. Videos of me singing the Hearts song when I was two years old. Stuff like that."

Getting the bug so early saw Matthews grow up wanting to be a footballer, like many youngsters. He not only fulfilled that dream, he came through the ranks at Tynecastle.

After stints at boys’ clubs Edinburgh City and Royston Rangers, he joined Hearts around the age of 10.

Matthews came through the age groups with the likes of Jordan McGhee, now at Dundee, and Liam Smith, now playing with Bohemians in Ireland.

Another notable name in that year group was Angus Beith, now B team manager as well as assisting interim manager Liam Fox.

"Being a Hearts fan, being in the academy, getting to train at Riccarton and all the first-team players were walking about, it was brilliant,” recalls Matthews.

Small for his age at the time, the midfielder – along with Smith and Shaun Rutherford, who went on to play for Livingston – was held back for a year in the under-15s instead of making the jump to the under-17s.

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Then, when the time came a year later, he learned his fate – coincidentally ahead of a match against opposition that he would make his new home.

"I remember going in for a meeting,” said Matthews. “It was, funnily enough, before a game against Raith Rovers.

“There were too many meeting slots and mine was on the Saturday morning. I remember getting told that I'd been released.

"Honestly, I was devastated, being a Hearts fan. It was the worst thing that could have happened to me at the time. Looking back, it was probably one of the best things that could have happened.

"I remember being devastated that whole game and on the drive home. I said to my dad, 'It won't be the same at any other team.'

What transpired could not be further from the truth. Matthews is edging towards 300 appearances for Raith, recovering from injury in time last season to be part of their best campaign for a generation.

He was also part of the League One-winning team in 2020 that went on to challenge in the Championship the following season when Hearts “ran away with the league”.

"We actually beat Hearts at Tynecastle, which was up there with one of my favourite games I've played in,” he said. “Just being a season-ticket holder at Tynecastle and all that, playing there was brilliant.

"It's a shame it was covid at the time, so it was empty stands."

Matthews also lifted the 2022 Challenge Cup as captain on the day of the final.

In fact, he has three medals from that tournament. He picked one up not long after joining, despite not playing a minute of their 2014 success and another from being ‘crowned’ joint winners along with Inverness when the final was cancelled in 2020.

There have been lows too, including a couple of injury-disrupted seasons in recent times. The club have stuck by him as have the fans.

“Raith gave me a really good opportunity to break into the first team," added Matthews. "They've been brilliant with me, they've paid for operations.

“The fans have been class with me when I've been in the stand. I know it can be frustrating having a player who is injured but they've all been really positive.”

Hearts take on Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park on Wednesday, October 9 at Stark’s Park, 7.45pm kick-off. Tickets are £15 for adults and £5 for under-16s