Nizzy blessed by Thistle release

As Kevin Nisbet prepares to return to Firhill to play Ian McCall’s Jags, he declares his release from the club where he learned his football from 2014 to 2018, as a blessing in disguise.

With five goals in the two games this season against his former club Kevin Nisbet is hoping for more when he returns to the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill on Saturday but he warned that it is never an easy place to visit even though they went there and won 3-0.

“I think they were in transition at that time. We have beaten them twice this season so we are going there with confidence. Given the fact that they are bottom of the league, we would hope to take advantage of that. They will be struggling to get a win, hopefully we can go there and get the job done.

“At the start of the season nobody expected them to be where they are but then nobody expected Arbroath would be pushing for second place either. I played against them last year and they are a great team Arbroath.

“Personally I expected them to be up there but I don’t think anybody expected Partick to be where they are. They came down the year before and I think there were just too many transitions. They are trying to rebuild a team but that I think their aim just now is just to stay in the league.”

Kevin returns to Partick Thistle where he played in the youth system before leaving to join Raith in 2018 and admitted “of course you want to do well when you go back there and score but there is no bad blood or anything like that”. He continued:-

“For me it is just another game that I want to go and play in, play well, score in and help the boys to three points.”

Kevin has previously admitted that while at Thistle he wasn’t in a good place both on the park and off the park.

“I wasn`t great if I am being honest. I think releasing me kicked started my career. I am thankful that it did happen because I wouldn`t have scored as many goals or come here either. It is a blessing in disguise I think.”

Having been subject of tremendous interest and much speculation during the January transfer window, Kevin was left out of the last match against Queen of the South. He exclaimed that was due to having incurred an injury in training and was nothing to do with the transfer market:-

“I didn`t train all week with a calf strain and on that park you cannot really risk making it worse. I think it was the right call to do it and thankfully the boys went and got the result as well. Everything is fine now now I have had two or three weeks off. Obviously not off off but training and resting. I`m fine and fit to go for Saturday.

“It was nothing to do with this speculation that always happens in football with bids coming in on the last day of the transfer window. I was not focused on that at all I was just focused on the Queen`s game and trying to get myself fit for it. Unfortunately I couldn`t start the game but I came on and had an impact, we got the 3-2 win and that is the most important thing.”

The two weeks without a match have allowed Kevin to get to know the on loan signing from Celtic, Jonathan Afolabi:-

“It is better that we didn`t have a game so we could ready build a relationship. Yes he is strong, he is fast, he is quick and he can hold the ball in so he is a nuisance for the defenders. It is great for me because I can then drop in or play often more. We have been working a lot in the last few weeks and hopefully it takes its toll on Saturday.”

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