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Lochlin Highet

Kilmarnock winger Daniel Armstrong on Scottish Cup, Chris Burke and staying behind after training

Daniel Armstrong admits learning from Chris Burke has been invaluable for his career.

The 24-year-old Kilmarnock winger is fighting for a spot on the right hand side with veteran Burke, but he says training with him has been huge.

Burke has been favoured in the last two matches, but with two cup games coming up against Queen's Park, Armstrong is sure to see minutes on the pitch.

He said: “It has been stop/start all season in terms of my game time, I have had to be patient.

“I got some starts and the team played well, but it’s great competition, especially against someone like Chris Burke.

“He is someone who helps me massively, we do a lot together, he is great to learn off of because his career has been brillaint, and he’s still got it.

“He doesn’t look any less fit, he’s there every day and he trains every day. He’s great.

“We do a lot together after training, we stay back and work on things.

“And during training too he always pulls me to the side and gives me wee tips, he helps me work on things, it’s brilliant having someone like him.

“He is in some shape, you should see him in the changing room!

“It speaks for itself how fit he is, he’s 37 and he plays week in, week out and he doesn’t miss a training session.

“He looks after himself the right way, there’s not many playing at a high level at that age."

Armstrong added: “It’s a good sign of commitment that he stays back with me, he always helps me in that regard.

“When we are training he will maybe pull me to the side if the boys are doing shooting so we can work on something else.

Kilmarnock's Dan Armstrong in action (SNS Group)

“I have got a lot of time for it, it does help, he’s brilliant with me.

“When I was playing and he was on the side he would come up to me at half time and full time encouraging me and giving me positive tips."

Former Raith Rovers winger Armstrong says he's relishing a Scottish Cup clash against Queen's Park, and he has shared his love for the competition.

He said: “We are looking forward to it, everyone loves the Scottish Cup so hopefully we can get through by getting a result.

“It gives us a wee break away from league action, obviously last week wasn’t the best of results.

“But we are looking to bounce back from last week, and hopefully that starts against Queen’s Park."

He added: “I only have good memories of the Scottish Cup to be honest.

“The best one was beating Dunfermline 3-0 in front of a full crowd during my first spell at Raith.

“That’s the only one that kind of sticks out.

“The Scottish Cup is massive, everyone tunes into it to see what’s happening.

“It would be good to see how far we can get, it’s a dream to go all the way, so hopefully we can go far."

Killie boss Tommy Wright added: "I think there's added excitement for the players in cup games because you know every club want to progress, you want to give your fans something in terms of having a cup run.

"We have six games to play this year before you could win it, normally when you’re in the premier league you’ve only five.

"And look at teams who have won cup competitions in recent years, Ross County, ourselves, St Johnstone, Inverness, St Mirren have all won cup competitions in the last 10 or 12 years.

"So it does give you that better opportunity to try to get some silverware.”

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