McKenna pays tribute to Nouble for loan stint

ARBROATH star Michael McKenna has thanked former loanee Joel Nouble after receiving his PFA Championship Player of the Year award.

The Lichties talisman picked up the gong at the PFA awards dinner in Glasgow on Sunday ahead of team-mate Tam O’Brien, Scott Tiffoney of Partick and Killie’s Kyle Lafferty.

McKenna finished the league season as top scorer with 15 goals, an incredible feat for a parttime player let along a midfielder.

In addition to that, he assisted 10 Lichties goals.

“I never expected this day to come, especially in the Championship,” he said.

“I’ve played in the lower leagues most of my life, and junior football, to be at the age of 31 and winning this is a great achievement for myself.”

McKenna believes his success is partly down to Nouble, who was on loan from Livingston until January.

The big Englishman scored five and provided four assists in his time at Gayfield, as well as causing havoc against numerous defences.

Three of those assists were netted by McKenna.

“It has been a great season personally and as a team,” he said.

“The squad we have built up, the manager is different class.

“We’ve been really helped by the loan market this year. Big Joel Nouble especially, he helped my game.

“At the start of the season I got a lot of goals because of him and his game. I’m thankful for that - it gave me confidence to go into the second half of the season.”