Rory McKenzie eyes cup medal as ‘icing on the cake’ at Kilmarnock

Rory McKenzie admits a League Cup final winners’ medal would be the icing on the cake of his Kilmarnock career.

The 31-year-old midfielder came through the ranks at the Rugby Park club but was on loan at Brechin City on March 18, 2012 when Killie won the trophy with a stunning 1-0 win over Celtic at Hampden Park thanks to a late goal from substitute Dieter van Tornhout.

Now in his testimonial season after making his debut in 2011, McKenzie accepts he is in the latter stages of his time at the Ayrshire club but ambitions still burn fiercely.

Ahead of their quarter-final against St Mirren on Friday night, the former Scotland Under-21 player said: “Time’s ticking. You won’t get as many chances.

“It’s almost a cliche but every manager that gets the job, they talk about that, that not many players get a chance to win trophies and especially at a club like Kilmarnock.

“I’ve experienced it once, winning the Championship, but to have a cup run, get to a final and to win another trophy, a cup, would be be the icing on the cake for me.

“I was out on loan (in 2012), but I remember listening to the semi-final as my game at Brechin got called off.

“I was in the car back home when we (Killie) played Ayr and I listened to that on the radio and then all the young lads were at the final.

“I remember the start, Mohamadou Sissoko’s square pass (that got cut out by Celtic striker Gary Hooper) and goalkeeper Cammy Bell saving and as the game went on, Celtic missed chances and you just kind of felt that it was going to be our day.

“We were actually in the corner where we scored, so it was a really special day.

“That was a great experience but we didn’t get to partake in any of the celebrations – but just being there, it meant so much to the club.

“In the years that followed, we had a few good years and probably under Steve Clarke, our performances throughout the season probably merited more of a cup run, but we just couldn’t get it done.

“So you can never expect to get there, but I feel kind of disappointed that we haven’t taken advantage in a few games.”

McKenzie was in the Kilmarnock side that lost 2-0 to Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final in January 2023, and he is bracing himself for a tough test against the Buddies.

He said: “The occasion last time against Celtic was a really enjoyable one and it’s never happened since so it’d mean a lot to get back again.

“Playing at Hampden Park was just so different to anything that I’d done before, playing in front of so many people and doing really well, we were unfortunate not to get something from the game. So it’d be great to get there again.

“But St Mirren are really well set up. They’re well-organised. They’ve got players that know the league, a manager that knows the league.

“Probably similar to us, just well-organised and hard to break down.”

Boss Stuart Kettlewell hopes to take a couple of players out of an injury list that includes Brad Lyons, Jamie Brandon, Ben Brannan, Kyle Magennis, Scott Tiffoney, Matty Kennedy and Tom Lowery.