Killie must convince Clarke to stay – O’Donnell

Stephen O’Donnell wants Kilmarnock to do everything they can on and off the pitch to persuade manager Steve Clarke to stay for another season.

The Killie boss, who arrived in October 2017, was quoted in a newspaper interview this week saying he would make his mind up about his future in the summer and did not rule of out staying at Rugby Park.

The Ayrshire club have secured a top-half finish under Clarke for the second successive season and sit in third place ahead of the visit of St Johnstone on Saturday.

A victory will take Kilmarnock one point off last season’s best-ever Premiership total of 59 points with five post-split fixtures remaining, keeping them on course for European football next term.

Scotland international full-back O’Donnell said: “We will see how we have done at the end of the season as a club and hopefully it will be enough to encourage the manager to stay.

“All we can ask for is Kilmarnock does everything they can, we know the fans support him massively and, as long as the club does everything, the manager’s decisions are his decisions.

“He has been in the game long enough. If he wants to walk away he will walk away with his head held high. If he stays, brilliant, and it will hopefully be another good season for Kilmarnock.

“Just now we are enjoying the time under him and as long as that lasts everyone will be over the moon.

“He has achieved a lot in his career. Getting into Europe would be a great achievement for Kilmarnock. Hopefully it would play a part in his thoughts.

“A lot of the decisions I think are family-based.  I don’t think it will have a massive bearing on his decision.”

O’Donnell believes Clarke’s legacy at the club is already assured.

The former Partick Thistle  and Luton Town defender said: “We were struggling at the bottom of the league and two seasons in a row he has got us in the top six.

“It is enough of a legacy. He could walk away now and it would be an incredible two seasons.

“If we could get into Europe it would be the icing on the cake.”

Assistant manager Alex Dyer,  who was on media duties with Clarke still under the weather, is “very confident” Kilmarnock will beat last season’s points total, which left them in fifth place.

He said: “It is a big incentive. We want to improve on last year, that has always been our target.

“I’m very confident, all the lads are in a good place.

“Hopefully we can keep level headed, keep going the way we are going, keep putting in good performances and results will take care of themselves.”