Former Celtic winger Gary Mackay-Steven has praised Killie boss Derek McInnes after the ex-Scotland Internationalist signed a short term deal with the Rugby Park club. GMS signed a deal until January with the Ayrshire club that will see him get back into the game after an injury from last October.
Speaking to The Scottish Sun, Mackay-Steven said that he is grateful to McInnes for getting him back in the game.
“We had kept dialogue with myself and my agent over what my situation was. It took longer than we thought.
“But having that relationship and to be able to join a team and do proper football training because I’d just been running was the next step.
“I’m totally grateful to Derek for that opportunity.
“He put a short-term deal to me and I’m happy to be involved in the games in any capacity.
“The Aberdeen game was my first involvement with a matchday squad again.
“Just to travel and have that feeling was great. Hopefully I can go from strength to strength.
“Celtic is a big game! Just having that feeling of being part of big games coming up is amazing for me.
“It’s been a while and I got a taste of it going up to Pittodrie.
“It was a great bus journey back because it was a terrific win for the boys and it felt good being part of it.
“If I could contribute in any way this weekend, then that would be a bonus.”
Celtic signed GMS alongside his teammate and pal, Stuart Armstrong at the end of the winter transfer window in 2015. Under Ronny Deila, he made 51 appearances, scoring ten times and assisting on 11 occasions; however, under Rodgers, he made just 11 appearances and neither scored nor assisted, which hastened his departure to Aberdeen. In his time at the club, he won five major trophies before joining McInnes in the North East.
GMS will now likely be in the Matchday squad for Sunday’s game as he looks to get himself back on the pitch ahead of pushing to get a deal from Killie.
