Departing midfielder Gary Dicker has backed Tommy Wright to take Kilmarnock back to the Scottish Premiership.

The 34-year-old has also denied it was "player power" that led to the dismissal of former manager Angelo Alessio back in 2019.

Kilmarnock were sitting fifth at the time but ended this season 11th before losing a play-off and being relegated.

"Tommy knows the Scottish game, he knows the players," Dicker told BBC Scotland after leaving the club.

"I fully expect Kilmarnock to - if not come straight back up - at least be challenging to come straight back up."

Dicker, who joined the Ayrshire club from Carlisle United in 2015, was one of 14 players released by Wright following "the worst ending you can have as a footballer".

"He's going to have to sign a lot of players, which is always difficult," the Irishman said. "It's hard signing five players let alone 15 if you need 15. Hopefully, if he can get the right people in, he can get Killie up."

Dicker, back home on the south coast of England, admitted "it's been a tough last few days" while wanting to set the record straight about the turbulent period that led to former Juventus, Chelsea and Italy assistant Alessio being sacked.

"It was probably just the wrong time for the wrong person," he said. "I don't think he might have been as ready for it either, his first job as well. New language, obviously that was a problem as well at first.

"Most Kilmarnock fans think, 'Gary Dicker this, Gary Dicker that'. Listen, player power doesn't exist at the level we're at. It just didn't work, but it wasn't for the want of trying.

"There wasn't one player since I've been at Kilmarnock in the five years that hasn't gone out and wanted to do well and try hard." Just to put it straight - it wasn't the Gary Dicker agenda as most people probably think it was."

Dicker recalled the club's owners closely watching what was going on at training.

"If you have people that don't really understand a lot of football and they are watching what's going on and not really seeing a lot going on, I think you can obviously read a lot into that," he added.