Derby County promotion pain parallel former Aberdeen ace Craig Bryson hopes to break with East Kilbride

Craig Bryson admits he can relate to East Kilbride’s struggles to reach the SPFL, having spent eight seasons at Derby County without play-off success.

And he reckons with Kilby being among the Lowland League favourites every year, it adds an extra pressure.

Bryson is on the backroom team of Kilby boss Mick Kennedy this season and is hoping to see his hometown team finally win promotion to League Two, after almost a decade of trying.

In his playing days, Bryson produced some of the best football of his career at Derby, but it wasn’t enough for the Rams to make the charge from Championship side to the riches of the English Premier League, as they suffered numerous play-off heartaches.

East Kilbride have twice faltered - losing to Cowdenbeath on penalties in the 2017 play-off final and losing to Cove in the semi-finals in 2019 - and currently sit top of the Lowland League in pursuit of a third crack at glory.

Former Aberdeen and Kilmarnock star Bryson believes this can finally be EK's year to break into the SPFL, but says after his Derby days he understands why it has been so difficult for the K-Park club thus far.

He said: “I think the hardest part for East Kilbride – and I found this at Derby when I was there, when we were one of the favourites to be promoted every year – you become a target, so it becomes even harder to win promotion.

“Nobody is under any illusions how difficult that is going to be, having to win the league and also get through the play-off system, but I think what the manager has done at his previous clubs [Darvel and Colville Park] shows that he is a winner.

“He wants to sign good players and he’s got a good group up there.

“I think the owners really believe in him as well and the club is together as