'My first job was Glasgow 2014 - now I'm helping run 2026's Games'

When the Commonwealth Games gets underway this July, one man watching will have a feeling of coming full circle.

Sam Spittle was fresh out of university when the sporting event rolled in to Glasgow in 2014, and took on a short-term role helping with the rugby sevens.

It was an experience he enjoyed so much that the Fife native decided to re-think his planned career with medicine and focus on working in events instead.

Twelve years later he will be back at the Games, but this time as a project director helping to deliver the entire event to the city.

Sam, 37, is hoping that there will be people willing to follow in his footsteps, as organisers behind this year's Games push for about 200 roles to be filled in areas like transport, cleaning, security and logistics.

Speaking to the BBC's Radio Scotland Breakfast programme, he recalled: "A graduate job opportunity came up for the 2014 Games, and I was lucky enough to get it - it was working for a year to deliver the rugby at Ibrox.

"My degree had been in physiology and sport science, but I was wowed by the scale of 2014 and how it seemed to take over the city. I got the bug from there and wanted to go on and work in major events."

Since then, Sam has worked at a string of massive sporting extravaganzas, including a Rugby World Cup and two Cricket World Cups, as well as the World Expo held in Dubai in 2020.

For Glasgow 2026 he will be director of operations and delivery with specialist events company Trivandi, a partner for the event.

He feels none of this could have happened without his early experiences at Glasgow 2014.

Sam added: "It was quite daunting, but what I realised was that the people I was working with were willing to wrap their arms around you and bring you in. There's so many opportunities around the world in events."

This year's Games will run from 23 July until 2 August, after Glasgow stepped in following a chaotic period where the Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting, citing the cost involved.

A stripped-back programme will present 10 sports at four venues, but Sam insisted that it will not seem diluted compared to the 2014 event, widely regarded as a great success.

He said: "There's a record-breaking para sports programme, and it's still the biggest [event] for track cycling, swimming and 3x3 basketball, so it's a reimagined games rather than being scaled down.

"Glasgow is an amazing city and a major hosting city for events generally so we are really excited at what's to come.

Sam said the recruitment push for this year's Commonwealth Games will be focused on getting locals involved.

He added: "One of the key things we are really looking to do is train the next group of events professionals.

"We know not everyone applying will have worked on events, but it's a great opportunity to step into a new world."