Jim Jefferies insists Barry Robson is a special talent and has praised Dundee United for rejecting Burnley's offer for their captain.The Lancashire club are understood to have offered £750,000 for Robson, with an additional payment of £200,000 should they win promotion to the Premier League.

The Tannadice outfit rejected this offer as they value Robson, who is also attracting interest from Celtic, at £1.5million.

Jefferies team take on Dundee United tomorrow - and the Killie boss believes United's valuation for Robson is fair as he has the ability to win games for Craig Levein's side.

He explained: "Robson has that something which is a wee bit special. If you give him room on his left foot and allow him to shoot at goal then he's liable to undo you.

"We'll have to close him down and compete against him.

"I've seen that United were offered around £700,000 by Burnley for Robson and he is much better than that.

"In the present-day market he is better than that and I think Dundee United are quite right to put him in a bracket of around £1.5 to £2million.

"He's worth a lot more than the £700,000 that's been offered.

"Dundee United will want to keep him as he's very important to them. Barry is the difference between winning and losing games, just like Steven Naismith was for us.

"He's coming into his best year, so I think it would take a decent offer to move him. I know he was linked with Celtic and he had the quality to go there.

"He is a key player for them and it'll take a good offer to move him."

Killie striker Colin Nish is also attracting interest from England, with Barnsley the latest club to be linked with him.

Jefferies admits he is in the dark over Nish's plans as the hitman has told him he wanted to stay with Killie.

The manager added: "Colin has told me to my face that he wants to stay here and he doesn't want to leave.

"We've made him an offer in writing and his father told me he's delighted with it but we're still waiting for him to sign it.

"Someone must be telling him he'll get so much money elsewhere and that's what he wants to hear.

"If so he shouldn't have said he wanted to stay and was happy with the offer because it's made him look silly."

More Football News from TEAMtalk