STILL HOPE ZAK CAN STAY
IAN McCALL has told Zak Rudden’s suitors they’ll need to stump up if they want to nab his Firhill finisher this month.
But the Partick Thistle boss hasn’t given up hope of tying the 21-year-old striker down to a new deal with his current one up at the end of the campaign.
McCall yesterday confirmed Jags have turned down offers for their marksman, who arrived from Rangers in January 2020 on a two-and-a-half year deal.
St Johnstone have been credited with keeping tabs on the Scotland Under-21, who has eight goals in 23 games for his club this term.
When Saints’ interest was put to him and asked if there have been any bids for Rudden, McCall said: “There have been two or three from other clubs as well as that.
“But nothing that I would look at. Ultimately it won’t be my decision but the board will act on my advice as well.
“There’s nothing we’d think of just now but it’s certainly more than the clubs that have been mentioned.
“There have been offers made, yes. These things tend to heat up, don’t they? But we’re still hopeful he’ll sign a new contract, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Asked if he is still confident Rudden will be a Jags player and if he’ll be doing all he can to keep him, McCall added: “Yeah, that’s what I think.
“But I know football, I’ve been in it a long time and these things can change. It’s a fluid situation so we just need to wait and see.
“Anything we’ve had, we’ve turned down and we’ll just see what comes in in the next few weeks.”
McCall had said this time last month he was hopeful Rudden, as well as Tunji Akinola, Jamie Sneddon and Stephen Hendrie would sign fresh terms within days.
Only an announcement on Hendrie has materialied, albeit McCall doesn’t fear for a second Rudden will be distracted from his mission of firing Thistle up the table.
McCall, whose fifthplaced side face Morton tomorrow, said: “Zak is his best on the pitch, that’s where he gets a release from all these kind of things.
“There are no worries on that score (of losing concentration).
“Zak’s still got to find a level of consistency, he’s a young player. He played at Kilmarnock when we won 1-0 and played really well. If anybody had been watching him then, they’d have put a bid in after the game – he was that good.
“But he has his other performances when he’s not quite as good. He’s still got a good bit to learn but he’s got all the attributes. He’s a finisher and finishers tend to attract attention.”