DEREK MCINNES says Jordan Jones has the chance to become a key figure at Kilmarnock after returning to the club this week.
The winger, 27, has endured a difficult couple of years since moving on from Rugby Park, where he undoubtedly enjoyed the best football of his career so far.
His dream move to Rangers didn’t work out and the last-12 months at Wigan have certainly not gone to plan for the Northern Ireland international.
A successful loan spell with Sunderland in-between showed what Jones is capable of, as everyone in Scottish football knows from his previous years at Killie.
McInnes is confident the attacker can shine upon his side’s return to the top flight.
He said: “Some players can go to clubs, like Rangers, and it’s not good for them to be a squad player. It’s not good to be a squad player anywhere. Certain people can maybe adjust to that, though.
“When you’re not playing week in, week out, some players deal with that better and accept where they are. Some people struggle with that.
“Jordan, by his own admission, struggled with not being a key player.
“He did brilliantly at Sunderland on loan. When you speak to the people there, he did fantastically well. He got a move to Wigan off the back of that work.
“I do this his spell at Sunderland showed exactly what he’s capable of. So, it’s not just from his time here, he’s played a good amount of significant, solid football at good levels before.
“He’s still young enough to go and show everyone that he’s got the experience now. He’s experienced good and bad, highs and lows.
“He had a good time here at Kilmarnock in his last spell, we want him to pick up the mantle now and drive on. He’ll get the benefit of that for his career by having a successful season with us, and we’ll get the benefit of that type of player.
“I must say, in the conversations I’ve had with him, I find a maturity about him. He’s a good boy and there’s a real genuine side. He’s got a point to prove and he’s got that hunger.”
Alongside Jones, Ryan Alebiosu joined Killie on loan from Arsenal this week.
Capable of playing right-back, right-wing-back or on the right of a back three, the 20-year-old adds some much-needed pace and power to McInnes’ full-back options.
With these two players in the building this week, the former Aberdeen manager can see the difference they’ve made to the squad already ahead of this weekend’s Premier Sports Cup group decider with Stenhousemuir.
He added: “We’ve got to be respectful to the players I’ve got in the squad here. I feel as though we had to make those improvements when we came up a division.
“Any manager wants to make improvements to their starting XI, regardless if they’ve won a league. You’ll see it at Celtic, they’ll still want to improve. Teams down the road too. We’re no different.
“We’ve got to provide that competition. It’s up to the players who were here already to make sure they put their hands up to say ‘we’re not getting pushed aside here’. That’s what we’re looking for.
“We’ve got a really good squad, but I do feel we needed types of players. We needed more speed and athleticism in certain areas of the pitch.
“From the ones who’ve come in, Ryan and Jordan certainly provide the latter part of what we’re looking for. To try and have more answers if we’re defending from a deep position, we have a counter-attacking threat. We have players that can isolate one-vs-one and go past people. Every team needs that.
“In the 11 vs 11s that we’ve done in the last couple of days, having Jordan and Ryan involved, we look quicker, more athletic, we can get up and down the pitch quicker. On that transition, you’ve got to have that. Every team needs that. We’re certainly going to need that in the Premiership.
“In certain areas of the pitch we’ve got some good options and real competition. That’s what I wanted when I tried to put this squad together.
“We’ve still got a bit to go. But when I look back to that night where we were after Raith on the last game of the season, knowing what needed to be done, I think we’re doing fine.
“I’ve been well supported by the board. We’ll continue to try and shape the squad in the way that we want it.”
