Partick Thistle and Dundee United hero on turning down EK deal as SPFL clubs show interest

Midfielder Chris Erskine has turned down a new deal at East Kilbride and revealed he now has SPFL clubs chasing his signature for next season.

The 35-year-old is in the twilight of his playing career as he mixes football with a new full-time job as a fire-fighter and he had hoped to strike a deal to stay at Kilby next season, who play just a short distance away from his base at East Kilbride Fire Station.

However, talks with Kilby gaffer Kevin Rutkiewicz last week collapsed after both parties failed to reach an agreement.

While Erskine is disappointed he won't be staying with his hometown club, the Lindsayfield man is keen to secure something else soon and hasn't been short of offers since announcing his exit on social media on Sunday.

Erskine, who played his last game for the club against Bonnyrigg Rose last month having been out since Christmas, told Lanarkshire Live Sport: "I spoke to the manager over the last week or so, they offered me a deal and it just wasn't right for me.

"He had his ideas about what was right for the club going forward and our thoughts just didn't meet.

"It's nothing personal or bad, it's just one of those things in football and we wished each other all the best.

"A bit of it was about fitting around my job and a bit of it was about the terms I was looking for. They just didn't match, unfortunately, because I would have liked to stay.

"It would have suited me well being close to the fire station, but even more than that, I'm from East Kilbride and I genuinely wanted to help the club get promoted so it's disappointing.

"It's a new manager going in there with his own ideas and he's got to do what's best for the club, and I've got to do what is best for me.

"Once I tweeted [he'd left], I've had