With his coiffured bonce and designer stubble, Thomas Stickroth would have made a convincing George Michael impersonator (circa 1984). But the similarities didn't end there . . . he even played like the effeminate Wham frontman.
Stickroth arrived at Love Street on loan from Bundesliga side Bayer Uerdingen in March 1990, making his debut as a secondhalf substitute against Rangers. Within seconds of Stickroth's first contribution, home fans were shouting 'sign him, sign him' at Tony Fitzpatrick, the St Mirren manager.
The relationship blossomed when the German scored in a league cup triumph over Arbroath, while his second goal in St Mirren colours - a low drive after outpacing the Motherwell defence - hinted that Fitzpatrick had found the striker to ensure the Saints' Premier League status.
Sufficiently duped, Fitzpatrick convinced the board to pay a club record GBP400,000 to make the move permanent and the goals dried up quicker than hairspray on a bouffant bedecked new romantic wannabe.
Redeployed as a winger, Stickroth enjoyed marginally greater success as his effortless ability to drift past players was bettered only by his effortless ability to look like he wasn't putting in any effort.
"He was a great winger when he wanted to be, but awful when he couldn't be bothered, which was far too often, " recalled another St Mirren fan.
As the Saints fought for their top-flight survival at the end of the 1990-91 season, Stickroth's conscience was suitably pricked to turn in a superb performance in the 3-0 victory over Celtic which helped stave off the drop.
However, he spent his second and final, season at Love Street nursing injuries. By the end of 1992, he had played 61 times and scored just three goals.
Relegation proved inevitable, as did a return home where Stickroth finally fulfilled his undeniable potential . . . as a sweeper with Vfl Bochum.
"Stickroth loved doing tricks and fooling the opponents' offenders in his own penalty area - I'll never forget how he took the mickey out of Bayern Munich's Giovane Elber so that we called him 'Stickinho', " recounted one Bochum fan.
Which was better than the 'bawbag' he was subjected to during his time in Scotland.
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