Kilmarnock midfielder Rory McKenzie admits the painful memories of relegation are spurring him on to avoid the same fate two years on.
McKenzie is one of the few survivors of the team that lost to Dundee in the play-offs before coming straight back up as cinch Championship title winners.
Derek McInnes and his squad occupy 11th place in the Premiership which would consign them to another play-off but there are five matches left to save their top-flight status, starting with Saturday’s trip to Motherwell.
McKenzie said: “I would much rather be playing in the top six but I’m relishing the game in terms of how big a game it is for the club.
“You want to play in big games and for a club like Kilmarnock, having been in this position, I know how bad it feels to be relegated and it just makes it a whole lot bigger. In that sense it’s a great occasion and a good game to go out and win.”
The 29-year-old is using past pain as motivation.
“Definitely, I have been thinking about it the last few weeks,” he said. “It’s a horrible, horrible feeling and I do not want to feel that again.
“I have let the boys know that and we are going to do what we can to not have any sort of feeling like that again.”
McKenzie was raised in Troon and his association with Killie goes back many years through his formative spell in the club’s academy but he does not feel his affection for the club should make him any more determined than his team-mates to help the cause.
“I don’t think it should,” he said. “It might come across as that because I am from here and I know the club better than most, but if you are a professional it’s not something you want to have on your CV.
“Yes, I am from here but it should mean the exact same for everyone in the squad whether you are here full-time or on loan. You don’t want to go back to your parent club on the back of a relegated season.
“Everyone has their reasons why and it should mean the same to everyone.”
Killie are looking to follow up on their first league away win of the season last time out against St Mirren.
McKenzie: “It was huge because it became a thing. For one reason or other we weren’t starting games well. We were conceding early and there was no real belief we could get back in the game.
“Last week we performed well. It was a big game for St Mirren and it was a good crowd and to come out on top against a good side was a big confidence boost.”
The attacking midfielder admits preparing for an away game on the back of a win feels different.
“I would say so, especially when your next game is away from home,” he said.
“It’s a huge confidence boost because I would be sitting here answering the same questions if we hadn’t won two weeks ago. So that’s quite pleasing.
“You are asked why the away form was so poor and we didn’t know, or we don’t know. It’s a frustrating one because last week just shows if we do everything right and it goes to plan, it’s sometimes quite straightforward.”
Killie have Joe Wright, Fraser Murray and Liam Polworth back from illness and injury and Kyle Vassell is set to feature despite suffering a hamstring issue in Paisley.
“He is still not perfect but he has always been a quick healer,” manager Derek McInnes said.
“We got him scanned and we got him moving again. We feel Kyle is a key player for us so we would much rather have him out there.”
Clement wants ruthless Rangers after nervy win over Hearts
Rangers boss Philippe Clement called on his team to show greater ruthlessness after they were made to work for a 1-0 win over Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
Cyriel Dessers put the Gers ahead after just six minutes at Ibrox, diverting James Tavernier's effort past visiting goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
However, Clement's team failed to build on that quick start and inched over the line amid a tense atmosphere, moving back to within nine points of pacesetters Celtic and Aberdeen.
Speaking after the game, Clement acknowledged his players are fatigued after a gruelling run of fixtures but added they must start taking their chances.
"We made too many wrong choices with the ball and became too sloppy," Clement said.
"It's the end of a very busy period, though, with a lot of travelling and they're all human beings, not robots.
"We missed scoring the second goal and we know that until you get that goal the other team stays in the game, so I want us to kill the belief of the opponent faster.
"I'm very satisfied with the result and the deserved three points. We didn't show the same quality in the second half and we didn't finish off the game. We had a few chances, but it stays nervous until the last second."
Rangers host Dundee United after the international break, while Celtic visit Hearts and Aberdeen travel to St. Mirren.
Celtic show 'another side' in following up Leipzig win by beating Kilmarnock
Celtic beat Kilmarnock 2-0 on Sunday to return to the top of the Scottish Premiership table, showing "another side" to their play after stunning RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
Brendan Rodgers' side defeated German side Leipzig 3-1 on Tuesday to put themselves in a strong position in the league phase of the Champions League, but their attentions returned to domestic action this weekend.
And after Aberdeen eased past Dundee, Celtic knew they must win again to reclaim top spot on goal difference.
Goals from Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn ensured they did just that, although it was a battle for the champions.
"They're totally different games, more fighting football [against Kilmarnock] and what you've got to contend with," Celtic boss Rodgers told Sky Sports.
"But I thought the players were absolutely brilliant, how they had to defend the pressure. The build-up comes quite direct from behind, so they know you have to stand up to the long balls and long throws and everything else.
"The players have shown this week they can deal with all types of games. Today was a brilliant, brilliant win for us and showed another side to us."
They will next face Hearts on 23 November, after the international break.
Celtic show 'another side' in following up Leipzig win by beating Kilmarnoc
Celtic beat Kilmarnock 2-0 on Sunday to return to the top of the Scottish Premiership table, showing "another side" to their play after stunning RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
Brendan Rodgers' side defeated German side Leipzig 3-1 on Tuesday to put themselves in a strong position in the league phase of the Champions League, but their attentions returned to domestic action this weekend.
And after Aberdeen eased past Dundee, Celtic knew they must win again to reclaim top spot on goal difference.
Goals from Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn ensured they did just that, although it was a battle for the champions.
"They're totally different games, more fighting football [against Kilmarnock] and what you've got to contend with," Celtic boss Rodgers told Sky Sports.
"But I thought the players were absolutely brilliant, how they had to defend the pressure. The build-up comes quite direct from behind, so they know you have to stand up to the long balls and long throws and everything else.
"The players have shown this week they can deal with all types of games. Today was a brilliant, brilliant win for us and showed another side to us."
They will next face Hearts on 23 November, after the international break.
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