Jimmy Nicholl stunned by Kenny Shiels' call

Jimmy Nicholl admits he was stunned when he was asked to be Kenny Shiels' assistant at Kilmarnock.

The former Manchester United and Rangers defender had a spell as manager of Cowdenbeath last season. But he will be back in the top flight next term after sealing a return to Rugby Park despite having no previous history with new manager Shiels.

Nicholl said: "I was surprised. I knew Kenny as a manager at Coleraine and I knew the name of course. It was only because I had Steven Old on loan during the season that I kept phoning Mixu Paatelainen and Kenny would answer the telephone and I'd let him know how Steven was getting on. I got to know him a wee bit but there hadn't been anything work-wise before now."

Shiels was No 2 at Rugby Park last season and took charge of team affairs on a caretaker basis when Paatelainen quit in March, before being confirmed as manager on a permanent basis on Wednesday. And, after more than a decade assisting Jimmy Calderwood at Dunfermline, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, Nicholl admits working with another manager will take some getting used to.

He said: "It will be strange but it will be good for me. I learned so much from Jimmy Calderwood when he came from Holland and it was great. I'm learning all the time. I saw the brand of football they played last year at Kilmarnock and I really enjoyed it. If I can add anything to it at all, that's what I'll do."

Nicholl's previous spell at Kilmarnock saw the "two Jimmys" tasked with keeping the club in the SPL, while last season proved to be far more successful with a top-six finish. He added: "The same players that we worked with showed last year that they are capable of producing good football. They will be really looking forward to this season."