Will Dennis: Goalkeepers’ Union strengthening at Rugby Park

Will Dennis has praised the influence of the goalkeepers’ union at Rugby Park, stating that fierce but friendly competition from teammate Kieran O’Hara is helping to raise the standard.

Speaking to press ahead of the trip to Easter Road, the Killie No.1 said: “There’s a good buzz around the lads in training. We had a run of a few clean sheets at the start of the season which was good.”

“Obviously when you come in, you want to play. I came in at the start of pre-season as the only keeper, with a couple of the younger lads, so I was pushing to put my name in early doors. Kieran has since come in as well and it’s been great. We’re pushing each other in training and I think that works really well. It gets the best out of me and it will get the best out of him.

“I’ve made a couple of mistakes but I’m very grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given and I’m trying to repay it by giving my best performances and staying in the team as long as I can.

“Coming away on-loan full-time has been great; a helpful experience for me in terms of growing up a bit and looking after myself. The level is the main difference, but for a goalkeeper it’s pretty simple: you try to keep the ball out of the net as much as you can.

“The lads have been great for me defensively, in terms of giving me as little work to do in games as they have. They’ve been excellent so far and I’ll try to be there to help out when they need me.

Determined to take as many lessons as possible from his loan spell, the 23-year-old is in constant contact with his coaches and teammates, both North and South of the border. A growing Scottish contingent in Bournemouth has also been keeping tabs on his progress.

“I’ve been back and spoken to a couple of them. They said it has been going well from what they’ve seen, which is nice. Our loans manager is always in contact and I personally keep in touch with the goalie coach. His message has been keep pushing, keep your head down and enjoy it. Sometimes he’ll send me clips, often it’s as simple as a positional thing.

“Here, we go through everything in detail, even if you have had a quiet game, just to tidy up on the smaller things.”

Growing in confidence, Dennis is convinced that his side can maintain their position in the top half of the table.

“I don’t see why not. We’ve had a good run of form at home. I think we’ve turned up in most games. I know we’ve not had the results away from home, but we’ve been in the games. It’s a case of getting that win on the road now and picking up a run of wins consecutively.”

You can catch Will in action at Easter Road this Saturday. Tickets are available to purchase online – HERE.