Chris Burke is determined to play a key role in Kilmarnock’s attempt to win the cinch Championship at the first time of asking.
The veteran winger put in an incredible shift during Saturday’s 2-0 win at Morton which will do him no harm after returning from a spell on the sidelines.
An ankle injury, which was suffered after Killie’s clash with Inverness, has limited Burke to just two starts in the last three months with either Danny Armstrong or Rory McKenzie filling in at right midfield.
However, Burke showed his class setting up both goals and will now hope for a run in the side as Killie look to build on a three-point lead at the top.
And Burke — who is just three weeks from his 38th birthday — said: “It’s always nice to play no matter what age you are, 17 or 37.
“I hadn’t started the last few games and I had to prove to myself and the manager that hopefully I can be in the starting XI next week.
“No matter what age you are you have to prove to the manager, the fans, yourself, that you are ready to start the game.
“Hopefully I’ve done enough.
“I had a knock in my ankle, it took me a bit of time to get over that. As you get older, recovery is a longer.
"It’s a long time since I did my ligaments. I was told four weeks but it wasn’t clearly right until eight.”
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