AMBITIOUS new Kilmarnock boss Lee McCulloch set out his bold vision of helping the club enjoy success after taking on the Rugby Park hotseat on a permanent basis on Monday.

And he is hoping punters will start flocking back to the club in big numbers following the departure of unpopular chairman Michael Johnston last month, During his reign many fans stayed away.

He said: "I'm delighted to be given the opportunity to manage the club. I see it as the next step in my career and as a great opportunity. The club is changing, it's moving forward and I was desperate to be part of it. I see this club as a sleeping giant with an 18,000 all-seater stadium and a massive town.

"Right now we are averaging 3,000 fans. I want the club to pull together with the community and help raise these attendances."

McCulloch is looking to attract players who are likely to stay rather than loanees favoured b predecessor Lee Clark.

He added: "I need to make sure the players we bring in know this league and know the club. I won't be going down the route of bringing in lots of players on loan. I want to build a team and that means we can't rebuild it every single pre-season."

Meanwhile the new boss will have an interesting start to the season as his side will face Ayr United in a Betfred Cup sectional match in July. It will be the first taste of an Ayrshire derby for the former midfielder, who featured in many Old Firm showdowns for Rangers. Also in the section are Dumbarton, Annan Athletic and Clyde.