Stuart Kettlewell makes Jamie Brandon his first Kilmarnock signing

Stuart Kettlewell has made his first signing as Kilmarnock boss with Jamie Brandon joining on a two-year deal from Livingston.

The 27-year-old former Hearts defender captained the Lions to their return to the William Hill Premiership following a play-off win over Ross County.

Killie boss Kettlewell, who took over from Derek McInnes following his departure to Hearts, told his club’s website: “We’re delighted to sign Jamie. There have been a lot of clubs competing for his signature, so to get this over the line, we are extremely pleased.

“He’s been a standout performer for Livingston, and he adds to the leadership qualities that we already have in abundance here.

“He’s exactly the type of character we want at this football club, he understands the demands of Scottish football.

“Jamie fits in with the profile of players that we already have here, his addition will complement our squad.

“We want to build a squad with strong foundations and a real hunger to push forward.

“Jamie ticks all the boxes in that regard, and I’m delighted he’s chosen to continue his career here at Kilmarnock.”

Brandon, who can also play in midfield, said: “I’m delighted to be here. Once the manager spoke to me and said he wanted me to be part of his plans, I was delighted to come here and couldn’t wait to get it done.

“Kilmarnock is a big football club and you can see that with the number of season tickets already sold. You can see the highs that this club can get to with playing in Europe last year.”