DOUGIE Imrie has backed ex Rangers and St Mirren star Kirk Broadfoot to be a big hit at Cappielow.

The 38-year-old penned a one-year deal with Morton yesterday, becoming their first new signing of the summer after leaving Lowland League side Broomhill.

Despite eyebrows initially being raised about his about the veteran's ability to still operate at Championship level Imrie says that Broadfoot’s old school mentality proves he can still cut it.

He told the Tele: “I’m delighted that we’ve managed to be able to bring Kirk into the club. He’s still eager to play football and his experience speaks for itself.

“The guy’s won everything, played in a major European Cup Final and has been capped by Scotland so it’s a great move for the club and in particular the younger players.

“He’s got all the qualities to lead and to help us out in the long run with our younger players.

“His leadership qualities and the way he organises from the back can only benefit us.

“If I thought Kirk couldn’t do a job for Morton, I wouldn’t have brought him into the club.

“The guy still wants to play, to win things and he trains as hard as ever every day.

“Kirk Broadfoot isn’t coming here to pick up a pay packet, he’s coming here to play games and to push us forward.

"And he’s here to push on the standards that myself and Andy Millen set on a daily basis.

“In a playing capacity, to have him in and around the training pitch driving those standards higher will be invaluable for us.

“He comes from that old school era, similar to myself and Andy where it was cut throat.

“I think as years have gone on, society’s changed and players aren’t the same mould anymore, where you could batter people and they’d take it and get on with it.

“As a manager now, you need to know who can take it and who’ll maybe need a cuddle.

“Kirk’ll come in and I don’t want him changing anything, what he’s doing is brilliant and hopefully that can benefit the team.”

Imrie insists that Broadfoot isn’t arriving purely to make up the numbers.

He says there are no guaranteed starters and that his arrival will only spur his existing defence and squad on even further.

He said: “We’ve got four defenders signed up now in Calum Waters, Jack Baird, Darragh O'Connor and now Kirk. That's three of the four who were here last season and he now adds to that.

“They’ve got the quality there to keep the standards high and push each other on.

“They know that there’s no guaranteed starters, they need to be at it to keep the jersey and the arrival of Kirk will only add to that."