The Boyd is back in town

Mar 1 2013 by David Wren, Kilmarnock Standard

Kilmarnock made one of the shock signings of the season on Saturday when they brought Kris Boyd back to Rugby Park.

The 29 year old has signed a deal until the end of the season and insists he always wanted to return to where it all began.

He told the Standard: “I always said, when I left, if the time was right I would come back. And that’s what I’ve done.

“It was difficult moving away from my family and I felt that it was time to come back home.”

Boyd scored 63 goals in 153 appearances for Kilmarnock between 2000 and 2006, before moving to Rangers where he went on to become the SPL’s all-time leading goalscorer.

He has since had unsuccessfull spells at Middlesborough, Nottingham Forest, Eskisehirspor and Portland Timbers, and insists he thinks Kilmarnock is just the place for him to regain his form.

“I want to start playing, scoring goals and then I can get back to my best.

“Hopefully that will mean I can repay the faith shown in me by the chairman and the manager.”

Having lost so many senior players it is a major coup for the Rugby Park side signing a player of Boyd’s experience and quality.

As Killie go in to the real business end of the season they find themselves in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup as well as seventh in the SPL.

Killie boss Kenny Shiels believes Boyd has a lot to offer.

He said: “Kris scores goals, and of course that is a very important part of a football game.

“He’s been working really hard in training and that’s great to see, he knows that’s how he’ll get into the team, by working hard.”

Boyd has massive experience in winning trophies after his time at Rangers and this could come in handy when Killie play Hibs on Sunday.

Shiels believes that Boyd’s vast experience can only help his young squad.

He explained: “I think Kris brings great experience into our squad and something that our youngsters can really learn from.”

Boyd comes into a side that already has two prolific strikers in Paul Heffernan and Cillian Sheridan, and his new manager admits it will be tough to leave his star strikers out.

Shiels said: “It’s never set in stone that someone will play and that remains the same.

“I can’t say that it’s definite that Kris will play this game or that because we just don’t know.”

Heffernan has scored four goals in his last two games and is in some great form while Cillian Sheridan came on for the last five minutes against Aberdeen as he recovers from a hamstring problem.

Boyd has insisted however that it was a no brainer coming back to his first club.

He said: “It was an easy decision to sign, I had some of the best times of my career at this club and I’m glad to be back.”