MORTON legend Andy Ritchie believes several of Jim Duffy’s key players will be on the radar of Premiership outfits this season.

Ritchie watched his former side improve last year by finishing fourth and making it to the Premiership promotion play-offs before eventually being beaten by Ray McKinnon’s Dundee United in the quarter-finals.

And the ‘King of Cappielow’ is adamant the effort and talents of Ton’s key men won’t have gone unnoticed by bigger clubs from Scottish football’s top tier.

He told the Tele: “Thomas O’Ware has done well enough in the last few years to have come to the attention of Premiership clubs.

"Ricki Lamie has done the same and Lee Kilday has done reasonably well as well. The full-backs did well last season for 80 per cent or so of last year, Mark Russell especially, so these guys have done well.

“They’ll come to the attention of other clubs. Even other players like Gary Oliver and players like that, people are always looking to recruit. I’ve worked in recruitment and scouting a lot of my life and these players will fall into a lot of recruitment books for the new season.

“That’s just the way football is run nowadays and the way football clubs are.”

GARY Harkins will miss Saturday’s Betfred Cup tie against Edinburgh City and Morton’s Championship opener against Dumbarton though suspension.

The midfielder has received a two-game ban for his straight red card against Motherwell.

Meanwhile, Darren Barr will also be absent for the trip to his former club on Saturday August 5 due to an outstanding, one-match suspension from his time with the Sons.