Elgin City manager Gavin Price praises on-form striker Kane Hester and says best yet to come
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ELGIN City manager Gavin Price believes there is still more to come from striker Kane Hester.
The forward has been in blistering form during pre-season, finding the net in friendlies against Lossiemouth, Brora Rangers, and in back-to-back games against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, most recently in a 1–1 draw on Saturday.
Price feels the 25-year-old has been constantly improving since arriving at Borough Briggs in January of last year, and says that Hester has not yet hit his ceiling in black and white.
“He really is getting better and better," Price insisted.
“He came to us as quite a shy boy, lacking in confidence, but he is really transformed. He is really important to the way we play.
“He works hard at his game. He can frustrate the life out of me now and again, but he has that extra something.
“We are pleased to keep him here and we will keep working with him."
Elgin fans may feel someone needs to step up in the absence of Shane Sutherland, who rejoined Caley Thistle this summer after agreeing a pre-contract back in January.
Sutherland finished the shortened campaign second in the goalscoring stakes, with his 16 strikes only trailing Cove Rangers forward Mitch Megginson on 24.
Last season the conundrum for Price was how to get the best out of Sutherland alongside Hester.
Now, with his former talisman no longer at the club, City's manager will have to come up with something new – but Price is pleased with what he has seen from his attacking options over the course of pre-season.
“It was a really deadly combination up front last season," he recalled.
“Kane has got to adapt, but he’s playing his own game and doing well.
“With Shane last year, we played a certain style to get the best out of him. It was a no-brainer as he was the best player in the league.
“We have different players now, with different qualities.
“I’ve been working in pre-season on just how we get the best out of what we have now and look to find the best formula.
“Today is probably the best game we’ve had in pre-season, I would say, so it points us in the right direction.”
