East Kilbride won't be cleared out, but I will make changes, says boss Kevin Rutkiewicz

Kevin Rutkiewicz insists there won't be a "rip-up job" at East Kilbride this summer, but he won't try to keep those who don't want to be at the Lowland League club, and is going to bring in his own players.

Rutkiewicz is pleased with the squad at K-Park and says nobody is "miles off it" or will be frozen out, but improvements are needed and that he knows what is expected by the club owners.

The new Kilby boss says finishing second in the Lowland League isn't good enough, and intends to do what he can to take the title next season.

He said: "I've said to the boys this isn't a clean slate; it's not like anybody in here is not playing well, or anybody's out in 'Siberia', bombed out the squad. You're judging how they're reacting to us, as individuals, so it's up to us to keep them going. There's definitely stuff to work with.

"This isn't a rip-up job, but if it comes to the point where if I say to 'Joe Bloggs' do you want to stay, and he says no, that's really it out of my hands and the end of the conversation.

"We'll cast our eye over everything. I've said to people there will be one-way conversations and two-way conversations at some stage, over the next two to five weeks, I suppose.

"I need to find out if players want to stay - that's the first thing. If people don't want to be here, they won't be here. I'm not going to be a manager who is going to try and persuade somebody to stay against their wishes - I never have been.

"That's got to be the same throughout the recruitment, as long as I'm here. Sometimes you have to dangle wee carrots, or persuade people about the plan, and ambition, but at some stage the player has to say ' I want to come, I want to be part of it' and that's really big for me."

Former Stirling Albion