Who are Connah’s Quay Nomads’ Europa League opponents Kilmarnock?
© Copyright Leslie Barrie and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Connah’s Quay Nomads have been drawn to face Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock in the first round of Europa League qualifying.
The Nomads will be home to Killie on July 11, before facing the long trip up to Scotland on July 18 for the return leg.
Andy Morrison’s side will almost certainly be underdogs heading into this one, as we take a closer look at their opponents.
Key Info
Kilmarnock Football Club is based in East Ayrshire, Scotland, and is the oldest professional club in the country.
In their 150 year history, the club has won nine major trophies, with their most recent being the Scottish League Cup in 2011/12.
They play their home games at Rugby Park in Kilmarnock – which has a capacity of 18,128 – dwarfing the 1,500 of the Nomad’s Deeside Stadium.
Killie will head into the tie on the back of an impressive season in the Ladbrokes Premiership, where they secured a third-placed finish, behind only Rangers and champions Celtic.
They will, however, be without former striker and captain Kris Boyd, after the 35-year-old confirmed his retirement earlier this week.
Boyd scored 136 goals in 300 games for Kilmarnock over three spells, and played a vital role in their Europa League qualification.
In European Competitions
Kilmarnock have qualified for European competitions nine times, and are one of the few Scottish teams to have played in the European Cup, Cup Winners’ Cup and the UEFA Cup.
Despite this record, they are yet to make it past the first round in any campaign.
Arguably their greatest European moment came in the 1965-66 European Cup when they held Real Madrid to a 2-2 first-leg draw at Rugby Park.
The last time the club played in a European competition was in the 2001-02 UEFA Cup in which they reached the first round, only to be knocked out by Norwegian outfit Viking.
They secured their highest finish in the top tier since 1966 last season, which has seen them enter the first round of qualifying for the Europa League.
Manager
The club recently confirmed the appointment of Angelo Alessio as its manager.
Alessio has signed a three-year contract at Kilmarnock, as he replaces now-Scotland manager Steve Clarke.
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A midfielder in his playing days, he spent five years with Juventus, winning a UEFA Cup with them in the 1989-90 season.
As a coach, he helped Conte win three consecutive Serie A titles and won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2016-17.
Ones to watch
Eamonn Brophy
The Scot was Killie’s top scorer last season with 12 goals in all competitions. Brophy’s consistent performances earned him his first cap for Scotland in June and he appears to have his best years ahead of him.
Deadly in the box, the 23-year-old will be a handful for the Nomad’s in the final third of the pitch.
Greg Taylor
Taylor made 41 appearances for Kilmarnock last season and provided four assists from the left-back position. A versatile defender, he can also play at defensive midfield but his ability to cross accurately has meant he has mainly been deployed in a wide role.
He was reportedly a target of Celtic and Rangers in the January transfer window, but it seems the talented 21-year-old will remain in Kilmarnock for the near future.
Stuart Findlay
Findlay began his career at Celtic and spent a period of time at Newcastle before joining Killie in July 2018. The 23-year-old has enjoyed a fantastic first season back in Scotland; making 34 appearances and scoring four goals in the process.
The centre back has been capped 14 times for Scotland’s Under 21’s and was called up to the senior squad for the first time earlier this year. He is a tall, strong defender who is also very mobile.
Chris Burke
At 35, Burke is one of the elder statesmen in the Kilmarnock team, but he is still a valuable asset. He registered nine assists last campaign, the most of anyone at the club and he is certainly no closer to retirement.
The winger started his career with Rangers for whom he made 131 appearances. He also played 118 games for Cardiff City between 2009 and 2011. While he may not have the pace he once did, his crossing ability and work rate still make him a key player for Kilmarnock.
(Featured image: Leslie Barrie)
