Dean Shiels Cup Final, which Kilmarnock won after beating Celtic 1–0. Shiels was shortlisted for the SPFA Players' Player of the Year award, along with Jon Daly, Steven Davis and Charlie Mulgrew. Shiels rejected the offer of a new contract with Kilmarnock and left the club at the end of the season. Shiels signed for Rangers on 31 July 2012. Kilmarnock's chairman Michael Johnson believes Rangers had underestimate Kilmarnock to get Shiels. Shiels vowed to make the club win a trophy this season and revealed he turned down clubs around Europe, which he could even play in the Champions League; instead, preferring
Mark McWalter by Partick McWalter moved to the Irish Football League with Coleraine and became a 'cult hero' at the club. He was linked with the manager's job after the departure of Felix Healy in 1994 but lost out to Kenny Shiels, a manager with whom he would later clash, resulting in McWalter moving to Ballymena United for a year. He was the club's top scorer in his sole season. McWalter returned to Scotland in 1996 to play three final seasons back at Gayfield Park. Unable to cope with the rigours of full-time football due a persistent knee injury McWalter left full-time