Rico Quitongo has alleged he had to leave Airdrie as "for some people my face or my skin didn't fit" - and he has claimed the club painted him in a bad light over the racism row that erupted earlier this season.
The 22-year-old has hit out at the treatment he claims he received by a minority at the Monklands club and says he is delighted to put it behind him after signing for League One rivals Peterhead.
Quitongo, who is the son of Hamilton Accies and Hearts star Jose, said in September that he was racially abused by a Diamonds fan during a 0-0 draw against Queen's Park in September last year, but the New Broomfield club dropped an investigation into the allegation the following month, saying there was "insufficient evidence".
A statement issued by the club continued: "It was also important to ensure that our club and supporters as a whole were not unfairly accused of using racist language. We believe that this process has been a vindication."
Following the outcome of the investigation on October 12 last year, Quitongo did not play in the club's next game amid comments on social media by his brother Jai and he didn't make an appearance for six weeks.
Quitongo says he's saddened by his exit from Airdrie, having asked to be released last week, and says the whole incident soured his time there.
He told Lanarkshire Live Sport : "The first few months at Airdrie were amazing for me, but the last four or five months there have been a lot of complications, things to deal with, and I'm glad I'm at a team that's going to treat me equally, to be allowed to train and play my football, and that's all I want.
"For the first few months of it I enjoyed every single minute, every single day of my time at Airdrie before the incident happened, and all I wanted to do was go win League One with them, but that's outwith my control.
"When you're not allowed to train or play, it's out of your control, it's taken away from you.
"I just want to focus on my football. At the end of the day that's all I want to do, but it's a shame.
"I've never once tried to accuse all the Airdrie fans, that's the last thing I wanted to do.
"There are some nice, great people at the club and there are loving people at the club as well, but for some people my face doesn't fit. Or my skin doesn't fit.
"It's hard, mentally. You see stuff on social media of fans and what the club have painted a picture of me.
"Some fans are upset, thinking I didn't want to play, I didn't want to train, but that was the last thing I wanted - I wanted to play every single minute.
"When you're not treated fairly it gets taken out of your hands. It's a shame it worked out this way, but I had to leave.
"It wasn't my football performances, so it was outwith my control."
Signing for Jim McInally's men puts Quitongo in direct opposition to Airdrie in the League One title race, but he says he just wants to get on with his career.
He said: "I'm going to treat it like any other game. I've still got friends, I'll still speak to them, but at the end of the day it's a game of football, so for 90 minutes they're opponents to me.
"I'll play my game just as normal, the same as at Dumbarton at the start of the season.
"If I get booed or whatever I'll deal with that, but I'm a big boy now, so that's what happens."
Former Hamilton Accies defender Rico added: "Jim was keen to bring me in, and he was just a genuine guy - I've not had that since I was with Jim Duffy [at Dumbarton]. He's a genuine guy, he spoke to me, he was a man and cared about me, rather than other people.
"He just wanted to know where I was at, and would I be welcome to it [the move], and I absolutely loved it, up training there last week, so I took in the game [Scottish Cup tie against East Kilbride] on Saturday.
"I'm looking forward to getting on the park and playing for them, to try and get them up the table."
Lanarkshire Live Sport has contacted Airdrieonians for comment.
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