THE end of the season but possibly only the start of something special for St Mirren. In securing a draw away to champions Hibernian, Jack Ross and his players ensured there would be Championship football in Paisley again next year. For a team that not so long ago was wedded to the foot of the table and needed a telescope just to catch a glimpse of their opponents, the turn-around has been quite incredible.
There was relief among the squad on Saturday at having completed the salvage mission but with it a quiet determination to never put themselves through that again. Instead, there is a feeling that they ought to be challenging at the other end of the table next year.
Stephen McGinn sees no reason why not. The captain has been a key figure in St Mirren’s recent renaissance having returned to the club for a second spell in January. Avoiding relegation has activated the additional year on his contract and he revealed he is no rush to move on for as long as Ross remains in charge. He hopes many of the club’s talented youngsters – like Stevie Mallan, Lewis Morgan and Kyle Magennis – will stick around, too.
“This has been one of the best spells of my career” said the midfielder. “I love going in to training every day, love the players and the manager. The ambition of this club is to get back into the Premiership and I don’t see why we can’t.
“I phoned the manager to come back here. I’d had a few years where I hadn’t enjoyed my football but he was someone I really rated and trusted. I wanted to come and play for him. For as long as he is here I’m happy to be here.
“I hope we can keep the team together. People are going to be in for our young players as they’re that good but hopefully we can steal one more year out of them.”
McGinn had made it his personal mission to ensure St Mirren did not drop into the third tier of Scottish football for the first time, his relief and joy evident at having completed the job.
“I’m not going to lie; when I came in, looked at the table and saw the teams above us I thought, “just get ninth and we can deal with the play-offs when they come”. To get seventh, then, is above anything we could have dreamed of. The kit man got a bit carried away and put on The Great Escape after the game!
“But it’s been the best three or four months of my career by far. That feeling going over to see the fans at the end is hard to describe. I had goosebumps. Even in my last spell here I don’t think there was ever a bond quite like the players and fans have got right now.”
Efe Ambrose, meanwhile, admitted it was “emotional” to lift the Championship trophy with Hibernian and will now wait to see what the future holds with his Celtic contract set to expire. The defender has been on loan at Easter Road since January and thanked manager Neil Lennon for giving him the chance to play again.
He said: “My agent will speak to the club and you never know what is going to happen. Of course I would consider staying with Hibs because the fans showed me love and I enjoy working for the manager who signed me for Celtic and then brought me to Hibs. So if it comes my way again then I will be hard to turn it down.”
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