I HAD a wee suspicion John Kennedy might get the nod to make his comeback against Kilmarnock.

And I'm delighted Gordon Strachan gave him his chance in such an important game.

No one deserves it more than John, who has shown great mental strength to battle back after his horrific knee injury.

I have to be honest and admit that, like so many people, there were times I doubted if he'd ever get back.

I can remember about 16 months ago when I heard he'd suffered a setback in training, thinking that wasprobably it for John.

But even as a kid trying to break through, John had strength of character and determination, and that has served him so well.

Now he wants to push on and a decision will have to be made on what happens next.

A summer loan has been suggested. But Strachan will want him back for pre-season training so that he can assess the situation again.

If after that, it does not look as though John is going to get a regular game, perhaps they will consider a loan for the first half of the season.

At the moment, he'll be behind Stephen McManus and Steven Pressley in the queue for a game. But he did himself no harm with his performance at the weekend.

When you come back from an injury like that, people want to see if you have lost pace and if you can jump off the leg you damaged.

John looked spot on, though this was just one game.