THE several hundred who scampered onto the Rugby Park pitch might have made a strong case, but there won’t have been anyone who savoured Kilmarnock’s Championship title more than Rory McKenzie.
Cut him open and he’d bleed white and blue. Or so the myth had gone until Friday night when, such had been the eruption of emotion in that corner of Ayrshire, an embrace with his brother Craig left him the worse for wear; not that McKenzie was caring.
With the blood - sorry to say, Kilmarnock fans, but it was red - still drying on his top and a Cheshire cat grin etched on his face, McKenzie, his winner’s medal around his neck, took a second to take it all in.
“It is easily the most satisfying moment of my time here,” the 28-year-old said. “I was just lost for words and that has never happened before.
“You think you are going to win trophies at the start of your career.
“You think you are going to do amazing things.
“But, that is 11 years I have been in the first team and this is my first medal.”
There were times this season when it looked like Kilmarnock might have endured the same fate as Hibernian, Hearts and even Rangers, consigned to another year in the ‘doldrums’.
But their form since Derek McInnes took charge has been that of champions and McKenzie - so distraught by last year’s relegation - knows this could one day be looked back on as the biggest night of his career.
“To have something to show for our efforts is incredible,” he said. “Realistically this is the only league we could win and it feels amazing.
“Last year was a killer blow to everyone but we have bounced back.”
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