East Kilbride manager Mick Kennedy has praised the signing of Stephen Boyd, a former striker for Hamilton Accies and Morton, calling it an “unbelievable signing.” Kilby secured the 27-year-old yesterday after Boyd decided to return to football following a break. Boyd had mutually agreed to terminate his Morton contract in February, which was originally set to run until July 2025.
Kennedy credits Boyd’s return to football to his strong relationship with assistant Si Ferry, noting that without this connection, signing Boyd would have been impossible under normal circumstances. He explained that Boyd had lost his passion for the game after leaving Morton but was persuaded to return because of his bond with Ferry, whom he played with at Peterhead.
Kennedy added that Boyd’s desire to find the right environment to enjoy football again played a key role in his decision. Despite being only 27, Boyd’s talent is evident, and Kennedy believes he would have remained in the SPFL if not for his temporary break from the sport.
Boyd made his debut as a substitute in East Kilbride’s 5-0 victory over Broomhill last night. The team rebounded from a 2-1 loss to Cumbernauld Colts on Saturday with a commanding performance in Dumbarton, where Joao Balde scored twice, and Calum Biggar, Sean Fagan, and Tiwi Daramola also found the net.
Kennedy said, “We had control over the Broomhill game just like we did on Saturday, but the key difference was that we created more chances, leading to a completely different result.
“I would have been concerned if we hadn’t performed well on Saturday, but we’ve now played three matches [including Celtic B in the Trust Trophy] and have performed well in all of them. The way we impose ourselves on games has been impressive, but Cumbernauld managed to catch us on the break a couple of times.
“I told the players that teams will be extra motivated when playing against us, and it’s up to us to match that intensity. It ultimately comes down to mentality.”
Cumbernauld, however, couldn’t maintain their momentum, as they suffered a surprising defeat at home to Gretna. Kennedy added, “I was surprised by the Cumbernauld result, but not entirely shocked, because I knew—no disrespect to Cumbernauld Colts—that the way they approached our game on Saturday would be very different from how they approached Gretna, simply because we are East Kilbride.”
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