Oli Shaw admits he can’t wait for Kilmarnock’s Premiership curtain-raiser.
The East Ayrshire side make their much-anticipated return to the top flight against Dundee United on Saturday.
And the Championship winners’ flag will be unfurled in front of a healthy crowd at Rugby Park before kick-off.
Striker Shaw is ready to go with Killie back where they belong.
The 24-year-old said: “The mood in the camp is good and we are looking forward to the first game back in the Premiership.
“Hopefully it will be a packed-out crowd like it was against Arbroath.
“We are buzzing to get going and everyone wants to be in that starting XI. I am sure the fans will enjoy it. It’s going to be a big occasion for them and a big occasion for us.
“I hope we can put on a good performance and come away with three points.”
Shaw admits there’s pressure heading into the top flight as the club’s No 9 – but he wants to thrive on that with ambitions of the golden boot.
The hitman, who netted four times in three starts in the Premier Sports Cup group stages, said: “I hope to keep it going. That’s always my goal.
“We’ve got good strikers at the club, good players who want to score goals and I want to be one of those right at the top. I put pressure on myself to be top scorer so hopefully I am up there.
“There is that pressure to score goals as the No 9. I had it at Ross County in the Premiership. I then came here and got given the No 9 shirt and I feel I did well in the Championship.
“It’s all about stepping up now. I’ve played in the Premiership before and scored goals, so I am looking to continue doing that.”
Meanwhile, boss Derek McInnes and his players have been handed a trip to Tynecastle to face Hearts in the second round of the Premier Sports Cup. The tie will be played on Wednesday, August 31.
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