JOHNSTONE Burgh boss Jamie McKim admits he struggled during the weeks with no football but is now delighted to be back on the training pitch.

Burgh’s preparations for the 2022/23 campaign are well underway with the addition of three new faces and the signatures of seven of last season’s promotion heroes as they returned for pre-season training this week.

Glen Cameron, Max Brown and Cameron Crooks are the new faces to check-in at Keanie Park with Jason Andrew, Danny McBeth, Jordan Murch, Kieran Brophy, Brian Connor, Malky McDonald and club captain Stuart Fyfe all agreeing to stay in Johnstone.

Goalkeeper Cameron has arrived from Maryhill for a second spell at the club, defender Brown joins from St Cadocs and midfielder Crooks signed up after leaving East Stirlingshire.

The Keanie Park side are preparing for life in the second tier of the West of Scotland Football League after gaining promotion in the 2021/22 campaign and despite no action in recent weeks, McKim has remained a busy man.

He told Gazette Sport: “I’m now at the point where I just want to get back on the pitch.

“When you come into this job you know there’s not going to be any downtime.

“It’s hard at this time of the year because you are busy and it’s where your family might suffer because there’s no proper time off.

“I went to Santa Ponza last month for a week for a bit of sunshine with all the family and even with that you’re on the phone constantly talking to players and arranging for people to go and watch games.

“We’re back into pre-season now and it doesn’t feel like there’s been much of a break. Two years ago in the middle of Covid we were all desperate for football so I won’t be complaining.”

Burgh have also set themselves up for a tricky run of pre-season friendlies with Greenock, Open Goal Broomhill and Renfrew all set to visit Keanie Park whilst making journeys to Port Glasgow, Auchinleck Talbot and Kilsyth Rangers.

McKim’s side will also host the John Grant Tournament which features Largs Thistle, Maryhill and Glenvale on the weekend of July 2/3 and the Burgh boss believes getting the pre-season fixtures right is crucial.

He explained: “We need to make sure we are getting the right kind of challenge in the games and not playing too many but also making sure we’ve got enough.”