CLARK ON RUGBY PARK EXIT

LEE CLARK feels that leaving Kilmarnock for League One basement battlers Bury will help him pursue his ambition of managing in the top flight in England one day. The 44-year-old Geordie leaves the Ayrshire side, a year to the day after joining, in sixth place in the Ladbrokes Premiership after an eventful 12 months in charge which has seen him guide the club to victory in last season’s SPFL playoff final against Falkirk, then make his mark on the first team by bringing in a raft of new permanent and loan signings. One free transfer, Souleymane Coulibaly, was recently sold on to El Ahly for an i nitial £800,000 fee. While a Kilmarnock statement said they were “disappointed to lose Lee so soon”, they swiftly agreed terms with Bury for the early termination of his contract after Clark expressed his willingness to return south of the border to be closer to his family and embrace a new challenge.

The Rugby Park side could have a ready-made replacement in the ranks, with current assistant manager Lee McCulloch set to take over in the short-term at least for Sunday’s live televised match against Aberdeen.

The former Motherwell, Rangers, Wigan and Scotland international took interim charge prior to the appointment of Clark but may feel ready to take the job on a long-term basis.

“I have had a wonderful year as Kilmarnock manager,” said Clark.

“The club and fans have treated myself and my family fantastically.

“The directors have given me their full support in rebuilding the squad and the fans will always have a special place in my heart but I still have huge ambition to one day manage at the highest level in England, which is obviously the Premier League, and I feel that the fresh challenge of managing a club in England’s League One could provide me with the platform to build towards this goal.”

“We are delighted to have agreed terms with Kilmarnock for the services of Lee as our next manager,” said Bury chairman Stewart Day.