The Rugby Road Gates are open! Hello and welcome to an exclusive weekly take on Kilmarnock FC by Ewan Paton.

Nine SPFL players Killie could look at this summer

We’re approaching the time of year when domestic football takes a well-earned back seat, as players, coaches and fans of all teams enjoy a hiatus from the usual goings-on across 10 months of the year.

Of course, this summer we’ll have the Euros to tide us football fanatics over while Killie are on their holidays. Before we know it though, the end of June will roll around, Derek McInnes and his players will be back in for pre-season training and then everyone connected has European qualifiers to look forward to on July 25.

With that in mind, it’s little wonder most begin to wonder what their team’s squad will look like ahead of the new campaign. We saw an array of changes at Rugby Park last summer, and while there won’t quite be the same volume of traffic both in and out this year, a busy transfer window is still expected.

Key players such as Marley Watkins and Liam Polworth are out of contract come June 1. It’s essential the club does everything it can to extend their deals, albeit, it does seem increasingly likely the former will return down south to be closer to his family. Innes Cameron, Greg Stewart and Gary Mackay-Steven are among other squad players who the gaffer may want to keep. I suppose it’s a ‘Let’s wait and see,’ on those three. And of course, there will be some whose deals expire that are thanked and wished well on their future endeavours.

What about fresh faces coming in? I’ve compiled a list of nine SPFL players I feel could be useful as Killie aims to balance the fight for another top-six finish and hopefully, a prolonged stint in European competition. This does not include any potential loan deals from this season being converted into permanent moves such as Stuart Findlay or Corrie Ndaba. I will delve into the English market and beyond in the weeks ahead.

Ryan Jack

A player the gaffer knows well from his time at Aberdeen. More importantly, he’s someone McInnes rates highly – that much is clear any time he speaks of him. Whether he’d be within Killie’s reach or not is another question, but there’s nothing wrong with getting our sales pitch in. The midfielder, 32, has a patchy history with niggling injuries over recent seasons at Rangers. If he’s kept fit though, which the club has managed to do with Matty Kennedy, Marley Watkins and latterly Liam Donnelly, then he’d be an automatic starter.

Paul Hanlon

Perhaps a slightly controversial suggestion here. The 34-year-old will leave Hibs this summer. Assuming he continues playing, then there will be a host of Premiership clubs queuing to snap up his sort of experience. I’m not saying he’d be in our best XI, but he could be a worthwhile figure in the squad for a season or two, especially if Findlay cannot be retained.

Stephen Kelly

With Livingston already relegated, the likes of Kelly will be looking to sort out his future sooner rather than later. Unlike most of his teammates though, he’s under contract, so a small fee would be required. A tidy midfielder on the ball. If Polworth doesn’t stay, then he could fill the void. At a good age with plenty of potential too.

Bruce Anderson

It’s understood the soon-to-be free agent’s preference is to move down south when he leaves Livi. That’s not to say Killie aren’t interested. Dundee boss Tony Doc is already on record with his feelings on signing the diminutive frontman. A lot will come down to money with this one.

Callum Slattery

Similar to Kelly, the midfielder is of the same sort of variety as Polworth. Whether he’s worth competing with other clubs for thankfully isn’t for me to decide. I get the feeling he’d have plenty of options from rival teams, as well as a fresh offer from Motherwell.

George Harmon

Would provide decent competition at left-back if we can get Corrie Ndaba back from Ipswich.

Ryan Strain

It’s inevitable the Australia international will have options to play at a more testing level than Scotland, so it’d be a long shot. But with the need for a right-back/wing-back in the squad, considering he’s a free agent this summer, it would be a no-brainer to at least ask the question, especially with Danny Armstrong’s future unclear. He would be some signing.

Simon Murray

He’ll grab goals at this level, plain and simple. The well-travelled striker has 18 in 40 appearances so far this term for Ross County. With Watkins potentially away, he’d be a quality replacement.

Adam Frizzell

A left-field shout. Frizz came through the youth ranks at Rugby Park after leaving Rangers, much like childhood pal Greg Taylor. He made 50 first-team appearances scoring three goals before leaving in 2020. He’s currently captain of Airdrieonians and was in the Championship’s Team of the Season. Kerr McInroy may not have worked out, but Robbie Deas did, so McInnes may fancy another standout from Scotland’s second tier.