Kilmarnock open up contract talks with six players as they announce four departures

Kilmarnock have released four players and are in contract discussions with six more as Derek McInnes plans his preparations for next season.

The Rugby Park side are coming off a remarkable campaign in which they finished fourth and qualified for the Europa League.

Out of contract players Kerr McInroy, Aaron Quigg, Jack Sanders and Steven Warnock have been released. McInroy and Sanders had been on loan to Championship clubs Partick Thistle and Ayr United respectively.

Meanwhile, the club are in talks with Innes Cameron, Kieran O’Hara, Gary Mackay-Steven, Liam Polworth, Greg Stewart and Marley Watkins over new deals.

Watkins ended the campaign as the club’s top scorer and won Player of the Year at the end of season awards, while former Scotland winger Mackay-Steven has already said he's held 'positive' talks with the club.

Six players have seen their loan spells end and will be returning to their parent clubs with James Balagizi, Tom Davies, Will Dennis, Stuart Findlay, Corrie Ndaba and Kevin van Veen all departing. McInnes, however, has already stated his desire to bring back Dennis, Findlay and Ndaba if possible.

All of that means the club currently have 19 players currently signed up for the 2024/25 campaign.

They are: Danny Armstrong, Ben Brannan, Aaron Brown, Ethan Brown, Robbie Deas, Liam Donnelly, Aidan Glavin, Matty Kennedy, Kian Leslie, Brad Lyons, Kyle Magennis, Lewis Mayo, Rory McKenzie, Ethan Mersey, Fraser Murray, Kyle Vassell, Bobby Wales, David Watson and Joe Wright.

Boss Derek McInnes thanked the four departing players, saying: "It’s that time of the year where you’re trying to free up some space in the squad, on reflection there’s lads that have left that have been here a long time. We wish them well in the future and thank them for everything they’ve done at this club.

“Kerr and Jack were out on loan and managed to get games under their belt and will benefit from that when they go to their next clubs.

“Young Aaron Quigg has done well, but he’s just a victim of not having an out and out reserve league, he went months at a time without playing games, he had a loan at Albion Rovers so now we’re hoping he can go and play regular, settled football."

He added: "Steven Warnock is a sore one for us, it was difficult to do, we tried to get him good loans last season but there wasn’t enough interest which was a surprise to myself and my staff.

“He’s a brilliant boy, he’s been at the club a long time, he’s one that we’ve worked hard to try and find his next step for him, unfortunately for us and him it’s not going to be at Kilmarnock.

“He is someone that we intend to stay in contact with and continue to help him, hopefully he goes and showcases the talent that he has at his next club.”

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