Lee McCulloch says that Kilmarnock striker Kris Boyd does not get the respect or credit he deserves, calling the forward the best finisher Scotland has produced for a generation.

Boyd scored his 201st goal in the Scottish top-flight as Kilmarnock snatched a win at Ross County last weekend, and he is the only striker to bag 100 goals for two different clubs in the division.

McCulloch feels that such a record is worthy of praise, and as such, he is at a loss to explain why Boyd receives far more stick than plaudits from supporters around the country.

“He’s definitely the best Scottish finisher of his generation,” McCulloch said.

“There will be people who will throw names out there, but to do it in Scotland as consistently as he has done it then there’s not many to rival him.

“He beat Henrik Larsson’s record, and you could name all the other greats that he’s ahead of, so why should Kris Boyd not get all the adulation that he’s due?

“Why do some people get it and Kris Boyd will just get stick as normal? The one thing you can’t take away from him is that goal return.

“Scoring goals is definitely the hardest thing to do in football. Boydy has always had his fair share of criticism, which for me is unjust.

“His goal return at Rangers, his goal return at Kilmarnock and a couple of other clubs is nothing short of phenomenal. It’s in the top five in Scotland ever, it’s crazy. And people will still have a go.”

All of this is not to say that McCulloch feels Boyd cannot handle the stick that comes his way.

He added: “I think out of all of my playing days he’s probably the mentally strongest player I’ve played with in terms of how he believes in himself and believes that no matter what, he is going to score a goal.

“Our team needs that, our dressing room needs that, and this club needs that.

“He’s a little bit like Ally McCoist in that he believes in his ability so much to score goals and in their movement in the box.

“Boydy could race a lot of football players over 100 metres and he might not win too many, but I don’t think there’s anyone faster in the Premiership right now, including anybody, than Kris Boyd in the box.

“We’ve started creating chances in the last three or four games and he’s getting on the end of things, but even now, if Boydy is playing for a big team he is banging in goals all day long.”

There is no update meanwhile on McCulloch’s own position as temporary manager of the club.

The truth is there’s not been any contact really, I just got a text message saying well done for the result last weekend,” McCulloch said

“I can only speak for myself but why be in a rush if things are going ok? That’s the way probably both parties are looking at it at the moment.”