KILBY LOOK TO NEXT SEASON
Boss is planning ahead after title bid fades
East Kilbride boss Kevin Rutkiewicz has opened talks with several players over next season’s Lowland League campaign.
Despite a 3-0 win at Bo’ness United on Saturday, Kilby are sixth in the table and 14 points off leaders Rangers ‘B’ so even with a game in hand, a title charge is now a pipe dream this term.
But Rutkiewicz says having the core of a squad in place will make his work significantly easier during the summer, with only a few additions needing to be made at K-Park.
He said: “We’ve got good, healthy numbers just now, we’re in negotiations with a number of players within the club.
“We’re looking to get those tied up and looking to hit that level of between 10 and 14 players committed for next season, within the next few weeks.
“It just changes the whole landscape of what the job is, come summer.
“Rather than rebuilding a full squad, what we’re looking to add is probably just, at most, hopefully six players.
“It’s not just a one-way street at that point, it’s a two-way conversation, but we’ll have those conversations.
“Overall we’re in a good place at the minute and the boys who have come in have had a good impact, bringing a freshness and an impetus to something that had gone a wee bit flat over a period, due to results more than anything.”
There has been some big exits over the course of the season with star striker Cami Elliott leaving for full-time football at Dundalk in the League of Ireland and winger Joao Victoria securing a longterm contract with big-spending West of Scotland League outfit Drumchapel last month.
And Rutkiewicz added: “There has been a fair bit of to and fro to the squad.
“I felt the players that left were good professionals who have been in the game for a long time, and we have to be honest with these boys about next season.
“It gives them the best opportunity to sort themselves out with clubs as early as possible, rather than joining the rat-race in May.
“We’ve tried to be open and up-front with our business, inhouse.”
One player who impressed Rutkiewicz at the weekend was Neil McLaughlin, who scored one and set up another in the 3-0 win at Bo’ness United.
He said: “Neilly was positive every time he got the ball.”