Peterhead manager Jim McInally believes there’s more to come from Derryn Kesson after he agreed to stay with the club.
The midfielder will remain with the Blue Toon for the 2021-22 campaign, having made 16 appearances this term.
Balmoor boss McInally believes Kesson showed in the second half of the season that he can make a positive contribution.
He said: “I think with this season being condensed and the stop-start nature of it, he wasn’t getting enough game time.
“I don’t think he was up to speed with the league initially, but then I think the penny dropped.
“He’s a boy with terrific ability, but that ability can only shine through if you earn the right to use it through hard work.
“By the time the season finished he had started a couple of games and come on in a lot of games and he had become a player that could be trusted to go on knowing that he would do the dirty side of the game.
“When he started against East Fife, he did well on a few occasions where we got him on the ball in the right positions.
“When you see some of the things he does in training, there is still more to come from him.
“If we can get that wee bit extra out of Derryn then he’ll have a part to play for us.”
Good call to stay put
McInally is pleased Kesson has opted to remain with Peterhead.
The 22-year-old joined the Blue Toon last summer from Dundee Junior club Broughty Athletic.
McInally admits he wouldn’t have been surprised if the former Scotland futsal international received some tempting offers to return to the Tayside Junior ranks.
He added: “I said to Derryn that he can go back to Junior football any time really.
“But he might not get another chance at senior football, so I encouraged him to stay on with us.
“Next season it will hopefully be back to normal with a lot more games and it won’t be such a cut-throat situation as it was this season.
“The league was so tight that you were always trying to be as close to full strength as much as you could.
“It wasn’t really until the Stenhousemuir Scottish Cup game that he showed his work ethic was there.
“There were a couple of games early in the season where people were running past him and there wasn’t enough effort there.
“But I think Derryn has learned he won’t get away with that.
“So it’s good that we know he can do that side of the game and we also know what he’s capable of going the other way, getting at teams.”
