Aug 27 2009 Billy Brown; Colin Duncan

Kevin Kyle likes a punt and took a major gamble when he opted to join Kilmarnock last season.

I'm thrilled for him that it appears to be paying off and his recall to the Scotland squad this week was a huge shot in the arm for both him and us.

Kevin was on big money at Coventry and could easily have sat tight until his contract ended, picking up a hefty pay packet each week.

When we first expressed an interest we quickly discovered a number of English clubs were keen on Kevin's services.

They were able to offer a far more attractive package than us yet he still chose to come back to Scotland for a fraction of what he was earning at Coventry.

Kevin was prepared to sacrifice a lot of money in a determined bid to kick-start his career.

I would never blame any footballers for making decisions based purely on financial terms because it is a short career and we all have mortgages or the rent to pay.

However, it is heartening to see somebody such as Kevin take a chance and then for it to work out. He has become a huge presence at Rugby Park over the past year.

For too long my voice was the only one you could hear during our training sessions. Now I'm lucky to get a word in edgeways.

Shy is certainly not a word in Kevin's vocabulary and it's not just his head and feet that do the talking. He's a smashing lad who is right behind the cause and was the ideal choice to be club captain.

He most definitely has things to say for himself and is never slow to voice an opinion.

Jim Jefferies and I have never been ones to quash the opinions of players and there's no doubt Kevin will be a good spokesman for his team-mates.

He has adapted to the role well and his goals were a big bonus at the end of last term and the start of this one.

For defenders he's such a handful and while he didn't have a great game against a Morton team who impressed me greatly on Tuesday night he still scored one and set up the other two.

You can't ask for any more than that. I'm not sure if Kevin will start for Scotland against Macedonia and Holland next month but I'm certain he'll have a role to play.

Kevin offers something different to the other strikers in George Burley's squad and certainly has goals in him as he has proved in recent months.

Centre-halves up and down the country find him difficult to handle and I don't think the Macedonian defenders will relish coming up against him.

He's a big lad with a great physique and can out-muscle most defenders.

We have him until the end of the season and hopefully his goals can propel us back into the top six.

The Motherwell game was a huge disappointment last weekend and it's crucial we bounce back against St Mirren on Saturday.

The Buddies will almost certainly be vying for the same place in the table as us so there is added significance.

As told to Colin Duncan