St Mirren captain O'Hara joins Kilmarnock

St Mirren captain Mark O’Hara has departed the club and joined fellow Premiership side Kilmarnock on a two-year deal.

The 30-year-old joins they Ayrshire club following the expiry of his contract, after four years in Paisley.

O’Hara scored 25 goals in his 142 appearances, helped the club to three top six finishes, European football and last season’s unforgettable League Cup win.

The midfielder began his career with Kilmarnock’s youth academy and made 87 appearances for the first team before joining Dundee in 2016 where he worked with current Killie boss Neil McCann.

“I’m delighted to be back, and it’s good to come back at this stage of my career when I’m a different player than when I left,” O’Hara told Killie TV.

“This is the club that gave me my chance in football. I’m looking forward to a successful season ahead.

“I needed a fresh challenge. The club’s in a good place, and having had conversations with the manager, and working for him before, I knew he was somebody I wanted to work for again and that he’ll get the best out of me. It’s nice to be able to give a bit back to the club that gave me an opportunity.”

Head coach McCann added: “He’s an important signing for the team.

“As St Mirren’s captain, he brings leadership skills. We lost Brad [Lyons], who had been a big presence around here, so it’s important that we brought in another leader within the group.

“Mark I know well from my time at Dundee, and he was absolutely brilliant for me. It was a long time ago, but he’s still got a lot to offer. He’s a homegrown player with a massive connection to the club, which I’m sure the fans will appreciate and enjoy him being back.”