Canning backs Bingham to improve after contract extension

Hamilton manager Martin Canning has backed Rakish Bingham to keep improving after signing an extended deal.

Rakish Bingham
Published 22nd Nov 2017

The 24-year-old striker has committed until the end of next season after playing a key role in Hamilton's second goal against Rangers on Saturday.

Canning said: "Rakish has improved the longer he's been here and there is so much potential for Rakish to get better again as well. He's quick, strong, he's got two good feet, he can finish. I believe he's already a good player but I believe he can get better."

The final whistle had barely blown following Hamilton's first win at Ibrox since 1926 before Canning was warning that they must focus on Saturday's visit of Hibernian, and he has been reinforcing that message all week.

"The biggest thing for us, as much as you have to enjoy a result like that because it doesn't happen very often, is you need to refocus," he said.

"It can be quite easily forgotten a couple of weeks down the line if you're not picking up results. Nobody remembers that you beat Rangers or beat Hibs at the start of the season, it's the here and now.

"When we went to Hibs and beat them earlier this season, they were just off the back of beating Rangers at Ibrox, and maybe approached our game with the same mentality that we are trying to avoid approaching this game with: you've had a really good result and you just think the next game is going to take care of itself. That's not the way it works. That's a warning for us."

Grant Gillespie is pressing for a recall after playing another under-20s game, but Ali Crawford is not expected to return from a knee injury in time to face Hibs.

Meanwhile, Canning revealed captain Michael Devlin was still on course to return from a cruciate ligament injury around the turn of the year despite a tidy-up operation.

"He's getting there," he said. "He had to get an operation on his cartilage two weeks ago but that won't set him back. He is still on course for December/January to get back playing.