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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Lochlin Highet

Kilmarnock hero Blair Alston will never forget historic goal but he's now looking forward to Scottish Premiership

Blair Alston will never tire of hearing his name echoing around Rugby Park.

The Kilmarnock midfielder scored the iconic 90th minute winner against Arbroath to send his side into the Premiership, and in turn, himself into club folklore.

He will never forget that crazy finale – but insists now it’s all about getting prepared for life in the top flight again.

He said: “The song is brilliant. It’s one of those things, you can’t ask for any better way to finish a season.

“The celebrations after the Arbroath game were great as there was a lot of pressure on us last season to win the league.

“With the way it finished... obviously you’d always want to be further ahead and win it that way.

“We wanted to win it more comfortably but when it got to that situation, it couldn’t have gone any better.

“We did enjoy it but that’s done now.

“A week is a long time in football, so six or seven weeks off is a massive length of time.

Blair Alston during a Kilmarnock pre-season training session (SNS Group)

“We enjoyed that moment but now we are looking forward to getting started again.

“It’s about getting ready for next season. The boys are in early, we are looking fit and the fixtures coming out makes it feel a lot closer.

“It’s been a tough start to training and now we are looking forward to the games.”

Alston played in the top flight with St Johnstone for three years, along with a year at Hamilton.

But aged 30, the midfielder admits it’s frustrating he hasn’t clocked up a longer Premiership career.

And just over a year ago he was a League One player with Falkirk – but fast forward 12 months and he’s gearing up for a top flight return with Killie.

And he’s determined to grab the chance with both hands.

He said: “It’s probably been a mixture of things. At times, I haven’t played as well as I know I can.

“Ultimately, your career is down to yourself.

“It’s not about picking two or three people to blame, it’s about what you do.

“If I had played well enough at times, I know I would have played there longer.

“I was probably unlucky with the way the season finished at Hamilton and Covid was starting.

“I didn’t have a contract for the new season, so it was about getting myself back to where I felt I should be playing.

“This club gave me the platform to do that and I have that chance this year.

“I’ve always felt I was good enough to play in the Premiership.

“At times, my career has probably not gone the way I wanted but I am looking forward to the challenge again.

“I have played in the Premiership for a few years and I feel like I can make my mark at that level.

“I also feel this team can put our mark on the league too.”

Alston reckons the experience in the dressing room will prove key.

He said: “We have got a lot of boys who are experienced. When I was younger boys would say to me ‘get that experience because when you do you feel like you have got it right throughout your career’.

“When I look back I think: ‘Actually, I have picked up a lot of experience’. I think we have got a group of boys here who have played a lot of games and a lot of games at a good level. That is going to help us this year because it is going to be tough, we know it is going to be tough. But we have got boys who have done it at different clubs and we have got boys who have done it here. It will stand us in good stead for this season.”

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