Burchill on verge of joining Kilmarnock

The 28-year-old has been training with the Rugby Park club and is available for nothing following his release from Rotherham.

Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies, who tried unsuccessfully to sign the former Hearts and Dunfermline player last summer, said: "Mark has been training with us, he was in Italy with us and has looked very sharp. He played in a couple of close-season games and we've been trying to do something.

"It's all subject to a medical but we've agreed to take him until the end of this year. I nearly signed him last season but he wanted another crack down south and went to Rotherham.

"It gives me a wee bit of cover with Allan Russell being out and we feel Mark is the type who will complement us. I have a track record of getting boys round about this stage of their careers. Mark is 28 years old and coming into his best years.

"He has great experience and is a fox-in-the-box type. I'm sure if we provide service he'll feed off Kevin Kyle and get some goals. He gives us competition for places up front."

Jefferies is looking for cover with two of his strikers struggling with injury ahead of the start of the new season.

"Kevin Kyle has tweaked a muscle and might miss the next couple of weeks," said the manager. "But we hope he'll be ready for the start of the season."

Kyle joined Kilmarnock in January and his excellent form helped steer the club clear of relegation trouble. His fellow frontman Russell will be out of action until the autumn.

Meanwhile, Jefferies revealed the demise of Setanta forced Killie to withdraw their offer of a coaching post to Gary Locke.

Locke, 34, retired from playing at the end of the season and Jefferies had lined up his former captain for a prominent coaching role this season.

The loss of Locke is a blow for Jefferies, who has enjoyed a long association with the player who he made captain of Hearts and then took with him to first Bradford City and then Kilmarnock. It is understood that the decision to part company with Locke was delivered by Michael Johnston, the Kilmarnock chairman.

"We wanted to take Gary on as a coach, but the drop in finance from the TV deal has scuppered it," said Jefferies. "There are one or two things that have been out on hold because of this."

Broadcaster Setanta went out of business at the end of last season and the Scottish Premier League accepted a joint offer from ESPN and Sky worth half as much as a replacement deal.

Jefferies admitted he would be ready to take Locke back if the financial position was to improve. "Gary was a popular lad at the club and he was a good link between the players and the management," said Jefferies.

"He was with us in Italy for pre-season and we had hoped to take him on to the staff.

"He's tailor made for an assistant's job or a coach. If things change, we wouldn't be adverse to looking to take him back."