IMAGINE what a nightmare it must be having to work with Kris Boyd every day.

Seriously, forget the goals, points won and the ample assistance he’s patently passed on to younger colleagues.

And envisage how galling it must feel to be encountered with that smug grin every time he scores another tap-in in training, how draining and infuriating to hear those inevitable wisecracks as he saunters away.

Pity poor Kirk Broadfoot, who after netting his first goal for Kilmarnock on Saturday - only to be trumped by Boyd getting the winner, his 21st of the campaign – revealed he’s been the latest unlucky soul enduring the jibes of the quick-witted sharpshooter.

“The big man’s always giving me a bit of stick because he’s got about 700 goals and he lets everyone know about it all the time,” said Broadfoot. “I scored in training the other day and it was a decent finish and he said ‘oh, just another 699 goals!’”

The side-foot finish from Aaron Simpson’s low cross was actually ‘only’ Boyd’s 218th in the top flight of Scottish football, but proved the decisive strike in the 2-1 win after Hamilton substitute David Templeton’s free-kick struck the post and rebounded in off goalkeeper Leo Fasan to equalise Broadfoot’s thumping header from a Gary Dicker set-piece.

Templeton, like Broadfoot and Boyd a former Rangers player, was claiming the Hamilton goal – “if Harry Kane can get that header then I’m claiming that!” he insisted – but the Kilmarnock defender admitted the three points meant far more to him than the long-awaited strike.

“It’s about time I got a goal. The gaffer’s been saying to myself, Stuart Findlay and the centre-halves to chip in,” Broadfoot said.

“I’m just happy to get it but the most important thing is the team winning.”

Winning being a habit that Kilmarnock are fast becoming addicted to. It truly is an astonishing statistic and indicative of how far Steve Clarke has taken the club that, taking just results from the turn of the year Kilmarnock would be top of the table.

Now four points off fourth, they were bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership having amassed just three points from eight games when Clarke was appointed on October 14.

Despite the potential of even earning European football next season, Broadfoot is cautious of thinking too far ahead.

“We’d like to take this season into next but who knows what next season brings. Can we hold on to the manager and some of the players? Which players will we bring in?

“It’s a completely different season. But if we can keep hold of the manager and strengthen who knows where we can go.”

For now, it’s just a matter of trying to keep Boyd as quiet as possible in training.