Time in England stands Rentons in good stead for final

Instead, Keiron and Kris Renton will be brothers-in-arms when they line up for hometown club Musselburgh Athletic in Sunday's Emirates Scottish Junior Cup Final.

Goalkeeper Keiron was the first to be recruited by 'Burgh boss David McGlynn after the Olivebank side earned promotion to the Super League last season.

Playing Junior football is a far cry to what the 26-year-old was used to earlier in his career, having come through the Scotland ranks with the likes of Darren Fletcher and Mark Wilson.

Indeed, it could have been so different if he hadn't suffered a bad knee injury when he was at Blackburn.

"I went there when I left school at 15 and I was there for five years," said Keiron. "Brian Kidd was the manager when I arrived and then it was Graeme Souness.

"Brad Friedel was there, Alan Kelly and Damien Duff, too. Barry Ferguson came in for the last 18 months or so.

"I worked with Friedel day in day out and a he was certainly a good role model. Even at 40, he's still one of the best keepers around. It was great to learn from someone like that. Unfortunately, I broke my kneecap in my last season of contract at Blackburn. I was playing for Scotland Under-19s against Yugoslavia in Slovakia. It was a 50-50 ball and these things happen, it was just unfortunate.

"After leaving Blackburn, I then went to Elgin, Raith and Stenhousemuir before signing for Musselburgh after I could see some exciting things happening here under the manager."

He was joined at Olivebank at the start of this season by striker Kris after he also saw his career take a nosedive following an untimely injury.

"I made my debut for Norwich in the Championship when I was 16 and, at that stage in my career, I was flying," said Kris. "I was doing really well.

"It was a pleasure to work with players like Dion Dublin and Darren Huckerby in training every day. Making my debut at Leicester was also a great experience.

"Unfortunately, I then suffered a leg break and it was difficult for me from then on. I started to get homesick and felt it was time to come back up the road.

"I've not given up yet, though. I still hope to go back full-time again."

Indeed, he sees Sunday's Rugby Park showdown against Ayrshire aces Auchinleck Talbot as the perfect opportunity to show clubs exactly what he is capable of.

"I'm still young enough and if I can play well in the final then hopefully I can catch the eye of any scouts at the game," added the 20-year-old. "There's no better stage at this level to show people what I can do."

Helped by Keiron at one end of the park and Kris at the other, Musselburgh recently secured their Super League spot for another season.

Now the Renton brothers are determined to play their part in giving the club and town an even bigger reason to celebrate on Sunday.

"Since securing Super League safety we've been able to start thinking about the final," admitted Keiron.

"It's been a fantastic season and for two brothers to be heading into this game as part of the same team is fantastic, especially as we are Musselburgh boys.

"We'll all be going to Rugby Park to give it our best shot and, with a bit of luck, hopefully we can come back with the trophy on Sunday night.

"I think the fact there are quite a few local boys in the team has played a part in us getting to the final. We know what this means for the club and the town.

"The club has never been to the final before and, given it's such a tough competition, who's to say it will ever get there again?

"We are going through to Rugby Park aiming to give the punters a day to remember." Kris added: "It is fantastic for us but also the town. To see the local team in the Junior Cup Final for the first time is a great thrill for everyone.

"I've never seen anything like it in Musselburgh before and it is going to be good on Sunday.

"It would be unbelievable if we can pull it off. Even coming back from the semi-final was brilliant so I can't imagine what it would be like if we brought that Cup back to Musselburgh.

"We are big underdogs but I am quietly confident we are going to do something. We have the players to do it and hopefully we all turn up on the day."

Playing in a Junior Cup final probably isn't what either Keiron or Kris would have envisaged when they were riding on the crest of a wave at Ewood Park and Carrow Road.

But football has a habit of killing dreams and, for the time being at least, it would mean the world to them to win on Sunday.

"It was just unfortunate that we both had bad injuries when we were at Blackburn and Norwich," said Keiron.

"Now it's good that we are both playing for Musselburgh and I can assure you we'll be giving our all in this game."