A weekly newspaper has said thank you to a football manager who brought its local club their highest league position in more than 50 years.

The Kilmarnock Standard has saluted Steve Clarke, who has left Kilmarnock FC to become manager of the Scotland national team.

Mr Clarke rounded off his tenure in style last Sunday, when Kilmarnock beat Glasgow club Rangers 2-1 to secure their highest league finish since 1966 – as well as qualification for European football next season.

The Standard devoted its front and back pages of Wednesday’s paper to the team, with another six pages of coverage inside.

Editor Colin Paterson told HTFP: “Kilmarnock Football Club’s achievements deserved to be given front page recognition for they have given the town a massive lift and put a smile on people’s faces again.

“The scenes on Sunday will live long in the memory of everyone who was there and watching on TV, and everybody is now looking forward to the European tour next season.

“I must give a huge amount of credit to my sports editor Lochlin Highet for his superb coverage of the weekend’s events and our head of production George Johnston for creating such memorable front and back pages.

“But the real heroes are Steve Clarke and the players who have done such a wonderful job at Kilmarnock. It’s sad to see Steve leave but delighted that the Scotland national team will benefit from his managerial talents.”

The Standard’s back page also featured a mocked-up image of a Kilmarnock FC passport to celebrate the club’s forthcoming UEFA Europa League adventure.

Lochlin is one of a number of new appointments to have been taken on by the Standard this year, having joined in February.

The previous month chief reporter Ross Dunn joined the paper, while at the same time Colin took up its editorship.

Reporter Tara Fitzpatrick, who started on Wednesday, has replaced Emylie Howie after she joined the Sunday Mail earlier this month.