Raith Rovers boss will be sad to see ‘ultimate pro’ Jon Daly hang up his boots

Ray McKinnon has backed Jon Daly to be the “ultimate professional” in his last few weeks as a Raith Rovers player.

The former Dundee United and Rangers man will hang up his boots in January and become the under-20s coach at Hearts.

But McKinnon knows that there is no danger of the Stark’s Park club getting half-measures from him on the pitch before he heads to Tynecastle.

He said: “It is so disappointing for me and the club as we have brought him in, he has got himself fit, we have given him the platform to play and he is really starting to do that well.

“He could have had a few more years playing but he has had to make the big decision to give up.

“Any football player will tell you that they wished they could play for as long as possible so it is a huge decision for Jon.

“He has obviously given it a lot of thought, and I respect that, but it does leave us very short.

“It is a huge blow for our club but at the same time we realise it is a great opportunity for him.

“I am certain between now and January he will continue to be the ultimate professional.”