Corrie Ndaba on George Burley meeting, Ipswich uncertainty & kicking on at Killie

The left-back spoke to the media this midweek ahead of today's Scottish Premiership clash against St Mirren.

It’s not every day you meet an esteemed club legend in a sauna.

That was the reality for Corrie Ndaba as he bumped into former Scotland and Hearts manager George Burley for the first time.

An iconic figure at Ipswich Town, it was announced by the Premier League side this week that the 68-year-old was undergoing treatment for cancer.

Ndaba left the Tractor Boys during the summer, as he turned his loan to Killie into a permanent deal in late July.

Having spent around a decade on Ipswich’s books, he knows all about Burley's stature and his importance to the club, following hundreds of games as a player and manager at Portman Road. The Irishman wished him well in his recovery.

"Obviously, it's very sad and I hope that he'll be fine and I hope he recovers well,” the 24-year-old said. “It's not nice for anyone to get anything like that, especially a great person like him but hopefully, he'll be okay.

"He would come into the club and I would see him in the gym. The first time I bumped into him was in the sauna and I think I left the door open a tiny bit and he wasn't too happy and let me know. I'd see him here and there.

"You've got to respect the people who have done well before you and I can only wish him the best and hopefully he recovers well.”

Ndaba spent several weeks of pre-season back in a buoyant Suffolk following Ipswich’s promotion to the big time, as his move to Ayrshire didn’t materialise until later in the summer - despite inaccurate reports suggesting that a deal had been concluded in June.

He admits it was tough not knowing what the future held for him during that period, however, he insists that, despite having other options such as Hibernian, he wanted to return to Rugby Park and make a home for himself.