Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Andy McGilvray

Rangers kid is a 'breath of fresh air' says Hamilton Accies ace

Hamilton Accies midfield general Scott Martin says Kai Kennedy has been like a breath of fresh air since coming in on loan from Rangers.

The 19-year-old is on a deal until the end of this season, has every intention of going back to the Ibrox club in the summer, and Martin says you can see his talent shining through.

Hamilton were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Ayr yesterday, with Kennedy striking seven minutes into his first Accies start, latching onto David Moyo's ball before drilling into the bottom right corner.

But despite dominating the first half, Accies didn't take their chances, with Ronan Hughes hitting the bar with a penalty, and Sam Ashford's second-half strike saw the Honest Men return with a point.

Martin said: "Kai has been great, a breath of fresh air. He's a tricky winger, and a great lad off the pitch as well.

Martin has missed huge chunks of the season through injury (SNS Group)

"He has been brilliant for us and I think we've been missing that in recent weeks.

"But we should have had the game out of sight by half-time.

"I would say that we were in control right up until they scored, really.

"We looked comfortable and could have had a couple more, but it's one of those ones where we just need to look back on it and see where we can improve.

"The best teams in the world miss penalties and miss chances. As soon as it clicks it will click, and I'm sure we'll be fine."

Martin's season has been decidedly stop-start as he comes back from injury, only to break down, and hopes this time he can get a run until the end of the season.

A hamstring tear during a 0-0 draw with Ayr at Somerset Park in December saw him miss several games, and he wants to try and avoid further knocks.

The 24-year-old says whether he's climbing off the bench, starting games or being a voice in the dressing room, he's happy to play his part at Hamilton.

He said: "I'm just trying to keep the fitness up, to try and get that run. It's important from now until the end of the season to not pick up any injuries and any wee knocks.

"That's the aim, to contribute as much as I can to the team, and stay fit.

Martin suffered a grade two hamstring tear against Ayr on December 10, and was then struck down with Covid (SNS Group)

"It has been very frustrating; anybody will tell you it's not nice being injured, but it's one of those things you need to overcome.

"There are things I need to work on to try and prevent them from happening again, so I'm on the right track now.

"I had a grade two hamstring and I picked up Covid as well, so that probably did me a wee bit of good, just getting a few days' rest.

"It's behind me now, and the injury previous to that has settled up pretty nice as well, so I feel good.

"I just want to rack up as many appearances and help the team as much as I can, whether that's coming off the bench or starting, or, if I'm not playing, just being a voice in the changing room - if that's my role, I'm happy to be here."

Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.