The 34-year-old goalkeeper celebrates his testimonial right now in opposition to Dunfermline Athletic at Balmoral Stadium (1pm).
Sheran, who signed McKenzie twice throughout his two spells in cost at Cove, believes McKenzie has performed a serious position within the membership’s progress.
Cove Rangers director of soccer John Sheran insists Stuart McKenzie has been an integral determine within the membership’s rise from the Highland League to the Championship.
He mentioned: “Stuart joined on the proper time and contributed loads to the event of the squad.
“He has been a key man when it comes to getting us into the leagues however equally a key man in getting us up by means of the leagues as effectively.
“With 19 clear sheets final yr it reveals he’s getting higher with age and that have makes an enormous distinction.”
McKenzie is without doubt one of the unique members of the Highland League squad to have made the stand up the ranks of the SFPL and Sheran believes all of the gamers who helped the membership win promotion to the SPFL in 2019 needs to be pleased with their accomplishments.
He mentioned: “The gamers have adjusted to it rather well. We decided in 2017 to attempt to get gamers with Scottish league expertise who we felt had been able to taking us into the league and up by means of the leagues.
“The gamers have gone on to show we had been proper to do this. If you’re going to go and compete at SPFL degree you need to have that high quality within the squad.
“We had six or seven ex-Highland League guys beginning final season. Stuart is certainly one of them they usually’ve all carried out rather well.”
Sheran signed McKenzie from Montrose twice, in 2009 and once more in 2015, and the previous Cove supervisor says it isn’t laborious to see why he was so eager to convey the shotstopper again to the membership seven years in the past.
McKenzie is greater than a protected pair of arms, nonetheless. He has the honour of scoring for the membership of their win at Peterhead on January 2 and was additionally on penalty kick obligation in cup shootouts throughout Sheran’s tenure.
He mentioned: “Stuart is a unbelievable goalkeeper and you understand what you’re getting with him.
“He’s not flash, he’s only a actually good, strong goalkeeper who’s a unbelievable kicker of the ball.
“Not solely have you ever received a goalkeeper you may have someone who can begin numerous strikes from the again as effectively as a result of he’s such a very good passer of the ball.”
