Hamilton manager Martin Canning has insisted he’s not ready to hang up his boots just yet – but the player boss is resisting the temptation to pull them on to aid the club’s fight for Premiership survival.

After suffering a 4-0 thumping against a resurgent Kilmarnock, Accies sit just four points above the Ayrshire side who currently occupy the relegation play-off spot.

With Killie hosting toiling Partick Thistle at the weekend, Hamilton square up to Dundee and Canning is eager for his men to bounce back after last Saturday’s shocker.

Canning admits he’s desperate to get back out on the pitch to help his side seal their top flight place but the 34-year-old knows how big a decision that would be as the season draws to a nerve-shredding finale.

He said: “The biggest thing for me right now is to accept that it’s such a crucial stage of the season and I’ve not been playing a lot. It’s a big thing to come in and expect yourself to be fit and ready to go.

“My heart’s telling me every single minute of every single day to get back in the team and go and play and be an influence. But then when I sit down and think about it, my head tells me to wait a minute and be sensible.

“You’re the manager of the team, it’s a vital part of the season and you have a guy who hasn’t played all season. Are you really going to put him straight back in?

“That’s my job, it’s part of the decision making process. I’ve got to analyse it and get it as right as I can. My thought process is always thorough. I try and think about it properly, then do the right thing.

“I don’t think I would consider stopping playing. I think now, mentally, I’m as ready to play as I’ve ever been within my managerial career. But physically I’m not in the same shape as I was.

“The players know they let themselves down against Kilmarnock. We need to have a response on Saturday and I’ve no doubt there will be.”