There can scarcely be anyone with even a passing knowledge of football in this country who hasn’t been touched in some way by the story of former Celtic and Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov.

The Bulgarian returned to pre-season training with Villa's first team last week, four years on from the leukaemia diagnosis that threatened to end not only his playing career, but his life. Summoning every last ounce of his trademark courage and strength, the 36-year-old is in remission and now has a return to top level football in his sights once more.

It is a remarkable feat, and for those closest to the man himself – like the youngsters he has been training alongside at Villa Park over the past year - it is one that provides daily inspiration.

One of those young players, Josh Webb, was one of 11 new faces to check in at Kilmarnock last week as Rugby Park manager Lee Clark made sweeping changes to the squad that only preserved their Premiership status through the play-offs last season.

Joining on a permanent deal, defender Webb is hoping to carry the example of Petrov into his own career at Kilmarnock.

“Stan is someone I’ve grown to know very well and he’s done amazingly well since his diagnosis four years ago,” Webb said. “He’s been a huge influence on me and was in with us for 12 months to train and showing a terrific attitude. To watch his never say die attitude has been a massive thing for me and has made a huge impression.

“After seeing how well he has done over the last 12 months and watched how far he has come then there’s no reason why he can’t make it back into Aston Villa’s first team.

“I’m a massive believer in him and I wish him all the best. He’s been a hugely inspirational figure in my life.

“He was the captain of Aston Villa and was then given such horrible news but it was that positive attitude which saw him work hard to recover and come back to where he is now. It’s a massive credit to him and he’s going to get what he deserves.”

Webb says his own game has many of the hallmarks of Petrov in his prime – tenacity, a willingness to work hard and a refusal to accept defeat. It is the sort of spirit that has inspired him to leave the comfort of under-21 football – where he won the NextGen series with Aston Villa - to seek his own path at first-team level in Scotland.

He said: “The attraction was Lee Clark, it was his enthusiasm and the way he wants his teams to play football.

“He wants to play youngsters and wants to win games which is what everyone wants to do.

“It’ll be the same mentality that we had at Aston Villa and that is to work hard and win games. In the end it was an easy decision.”

Goalkeeper Oliver Davies, who spent last season on loan at the Ayrshire club without making a first-team appearance, due in part to the excellent form of Jamie MacDonald and a rather poorly-timed dislocated shoulder just as first-choice keeper MacDonald also dropped out through injury, has also checked in for a second loan spell until the end of the season.

Despite last term going about as well for him on a personal level as it did for the Rugby Park men as a whole, he is determined to make the most of his second chance in Ayrshire.

The performances of fellow Welshman Danny Ward while on loan at Aberdeen from Liverpool last season – which saw him start the first game of the European Championships for his country this summer – are making Davies believe that anything is possible.

“Danny got good experience up in Scotland at the start of the last season with Aberdeen,” Davies said. “He took his chance, has pushed on and has been part of the success with Wales.

“You just need that bit of luck, be in good form and then anything can happen—especially with such a small nation.

“We don’t have that many players to choose from so there’s always a chance. It’s great motivation.

“They’ve done so well. It shows you don’t always need to have the best individuals as long as you work as a team. We all want to be like them. There’s a massive buzz about football back home.”