Lewis Ferguson revealed his burgeoning midfield partnership with Aberdeen new boy Ross McCrorie has been years in the making.
Derek McInnes has paired his new recruit from Rangers alongside Ferguson at the heart of the Dons midfield since luring 22-year-old McCrorie from Ibrox last month.
The duo first met during their days in the Gers academy and have also seen action together for Scot Gemmill’s young Scotland side.
He said: “I’ve enjoyed hooking up with Ross these last few games.
“I’ve known him for a long time. I first came across him when I was playing pro-youth with Rangers. Ross was the year older than me but we played together a few times and got to know each other.
“I’ve met up with him more recently when we were both included in Scotland Under-21 camps.
“So I knew what type of player he was and what he’s like as a boy.
“It’s definitely made it easier forming a partnership. You know what it’s like when a new boy comes in that you’ve never had a relationship with and maybe haven’t even seen them play before.
“But Ross I and know exactly what each other is like having played with each other since we were young.
“That’s helped. We’ve formed a decent partnership in the middle of the park. We both offer different things as well as a few similar things.
“We’ve fed off each other so far. The first couple of games where we have played as a partnership I think we’ve made each other play better.
“Everybody in the changing room also raises their game when you get a new signing in, especially a big one like Ross.”
Ferguson added: “Killie will be on a high after beating Dundee United before the international break but we’re in the same boat as them.
“We’re going into the match on the back of a good result ourselves, so both teams will be high on confidence.
“Hopefully we can put on another winning performance for the fans who will be there.”
