Brewers Striker Signs New Contract
Burton Albion striker Billy Kee has signed a new three deal with the Club. The Northern Ireland Under 21 International scored 12 goals in 14 starts for the Brewers last season and opened his goalscoring account for the new campaign with a freekick against AFC Wimbledon in the opening week of the season.
Kee joined the Brewers 12 months ago from after a spell as Torquay United. Speaking shortly after signing his new deal Kee said, ‘I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far so I’m delighted (to have signed a new contract). I did well last year and now the club have rewarded me for getting back fit. I’ve started the last couple of games and felt good about myself so I’m really happy to be given a three year contract.
‘This is the first club where I have settled with all the lads. We are like a big, happy family, there are no cliques here and I’ve never had this with another club. With me being at home I really enjoy it here and it’s only an hour a day to travel. I’ve settled here and you can see that with the way my football has come on in the last year so hopefully I can push on now.
‘Gaz (manager Gary Rowett) is pushing the lads this year and we need to concentrate on everything we do in training so hopefully I can get better as a player and start scoring goals again. Gary mentioned (a new contract) in the summer and said if I got back fit then they would reward me with a new contract. People have said that I’ve lost weight as well and I have done, the injury has been a while but I haven’t pushed it. My main focus was getting back in the team and playing and hopefully I’ve done that now.
Burton Albion manager Gary Rowett said, ‘It’s something we’ve obviously looked at from the end of last season. He was coming into his last year and particularly after last year with his goal exploits and his age and international prospects I felt as if he was somebody we definitely wanted to tie down for a longer term. I’m really pleased that after three of four weeks of talking to him it’s come to fruition.
‘The Chairman has been brilliant and backed me all the way with what we have tried to do with Billy and he sees the benefit from the club’s point of view. Billy has worked really hard over the summer. He’s been in nearly every day, even when everybody else was off. He’s shown a real commitment to the cause of getting himself back in. He’s expressed his enjoyment to be at this club. He’s able to stay at home, I know he had a few troubles being down the other end of the country and with Billy if he’s enjoying his football and his environment he’ll score goals.’