Derek McInnes is delighted Marley Watkins has chosen to commit his future to Kilmarnock by signing a new two-year deal.
The former Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Bristol City, Barnsley, and Aberdeen attacker was voted Killie's Player of the Year for the 2023/24 campaign, after finding the net 13 times from his 43 appearances, while providing a further three assists.
But his Rugby Park contract expired this month and speculation had grew over his future.
That's why McInnes was eager to ensure a pivotal figure to his side securing a fourth place finish in the Scottish Premiership remained at Kilmarnock.
On the 33-year-old choosing Kilmarnock, McInnes said: “We are delighted to have him back, everyone connected with the club is delighted to have the opportunity to work with Marley longer.
“I think in his season with us last year he showed show much of his best qualities, he was a pivotal figure in a successful campaign.
“Being able to bring him back to the squad is a huge lift for us, hopefully he can be as important for us this season, I have no doubts that’ll be the case.”
Kilmarnock's preparations for the upcoming season got underway this week with a challenging pre-season friendly match against Paraguayan powerhouse Cerro Porteno.
The Ayrshire side fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of their South American opponents during their training camp in Spain, yet despite the loss, the Killie manager saw plenty of positives to take from the week's training and the match itself.
"It's probably a bit early in the build-up for us to be playing a team of that level, but it was a really good test for us," McInnes commented. "There's so many positives to take from the week and the game."
