Kilmarnock: Kirk Broadfoot returns from St Mirren on 18-month deal
- Published
Kirk Broadfoot helped Kilmarnock to a third-place Scottish Premiership finish last season
Kirk Broadfoot says he was so desperate to rejoin Kilmarnock from Scottish Premiership rivals St Mirren that he paid his own transfer fee.
The 35-year-old defender returns to Rugby Park on a deal until summer 2021 after five months at St Mirren.
The Paisley club's manager Jim Goodwin believes no transfer fee was involved.
"Kilmarnock made an approach, St Mirren wouldn't let me go," Broadfoot said. "I decided to pay the fee to get me here - that's how much I wanted to come back."
While Broadfoot arrives, fellow defender Alex Bruce has left Rugby Park by mutual consent to return to England.
Broadfoot ended his two-year Kilmarnock spell last September amid unhappiness with the methods of manager Angelo Alessio, who was sacked last month.
"The reason I left was a clash of two personalities but I didn't want to and I'm delighted to be back," he said.
Goodwin told BBC Scotland that Broadfoot's exit came "completely out of the blue" but was dismissive of the player's claim he paid the fee himself.
"People are talking about a fee," said the St Mirren boss. "Believe me what we're talking about is pennies.
"For Kirk to say that it has come out of his own pocket, I'd like to see the bank statement to say he's transferred money to St Mirren.
"He's probably taken a hit of £100 a week on his wages or something like that. We're talking peanuts here."
Broadfoot made eight appearances for St Mirren, but hasn't played since early November due to an ankle ligament injury which he has now recovered from.
In his previous stint at Rugby Park, the former Scotland international helped Kilmarnock to successive club record points totals and their first European campaign in 18 years.
Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer confirmed Broadfoot had paid "a little fee" because he was so determined to come back.
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