It has been a long time since the name �Kevin Kyle� struck fear into the heart of a defender. The Kilmarnock behemoth, who was included in George Burley�s Scotland squad earlier this week, has been in imperious form.

It has been a long time since the name Kevin Kyle' struck fear into the heart of a defender. The Kilmarnock behemoth, who was included in George Burley's Scotland squad earlier this week, has been in imperious form since moving north from Coventry City last year and next up it is the turn of St Mirren to try to nullify the formidable threat of the imposing front man.

It is a threat that has not gone unnoticed in Paisley as Gus MacPherson, the St Mirren manager, undergoes his final preparations for the trip to Ayrshire tomorrow.

The looming figure of Kyle is hard to ignore at the best of times and MacPherson joined a growing queue of admirers in endorsing the 27-year-old's credentials.

"Everybody is talking about Kevin Kyle," he said. "Everybody talks about him just being in the box but he's more than that, you saw it in the way he played on Tuesday night. The way he led the line, his movement, touch, everything's there; he is the all-round striker."

When Jim Jefferies brought Kyle back home in the 2009 January transfer window, it caused minor waves but few observers believed the striker, who was given his international debut under Berti Vogts and became a figure of ridicule soon after, would be anything more than a competent performer.

Fast forward eight months and Kyle has fully vindicated the Kilmarnock manager's decision to take a punt on him. Now, with just a few days remaining before the summer window closes Jefferies is counting down the hours to midnight on Tuesday and bracing himself for any late moves for his talisman.

Jefferies success could also be his loss as the SFA's decision to fall into line with their English counterparts by extending the transfer deadline by 24 hours gives predatory clubs some extra hovering time.

"It's not good news for me extending the deadline to Tuesday night, because it's no good to me for bringing in players," he said. "But it certainly gives people an extra day to think about things. It would take an awful big offer for the club not to turn it down. But if the window closes and he is still here we will be delighted about that.

"Then, if he puts in the performances and scores the goals that we know he can, it will be the same problem in January again. We will just have to wait and see."

Kyle's return to the Scotland fold is vindication of Jefferies' powers of persuasion and, as he recalled his part in luring the striker to Kilmarnock, he felt a sense of pride at his foresight.

"When you are trying to get a player to the club, you say things to try to persuade them to come - and one of the things we said to Kevin was that if he came up here and did the business, Scotland might come calling again," said Jefferies.

"It's nice when you're proved right. He is a big, powerful lad who is an option if Scotland need him. He is flying at the moment. Considering he had no pre-season games, there is still that extra bit to go in terms of match fitness."

For his part, MacPherson is hoping that, should his side continue to perform at the level that has enabled them avoid embarrassment against Ayr United in the cup in midweek and record a draw against Dundee United last weekend, the Paisley club can limit Kyle's effectiveness.

"We can only try to maintain the standards we've set," he said. "Hopefully we'll get a break along the way and we'll need that if we're going to get a result."

In Michael Higdon, St Mirren have their own robust centre-forward and while MacPherson was enthused by the former Falkirk striker finding the target on Tuesday night, he would like to his midfielders to provide better delivery to the front man.

"If we get the service to him he'll score goals," said MacPherson. "If we get good crosses into the box, he's a good target. We've got to get the right service to him."