KRISTIAN DENNIS will be hoping to get his first taste of competitive action in black-and-white this afternoon when St Mirren host Ross County but the former Notts County man is just pleased to be kicking a ball at all.
The 30-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Paisley club earlier this week, with Buddies boss Jim Goodwin confirming that the forward will be included in today’s matchday squad.
It’s a long way from making tea at a lawyer’s office or delivering people’s post each morning as Dennis as done in the past, but the latest St Mirren recruit is just happy and grateful to have forged a career in the sport that he loves.
“Ten years ago I was playing and working two nights a week part-time,” he said. “To be where I am now, I would have snapped your arm off then. I just take every day as it comes and try to enjoy it.
“I was the tea boy doing admin work and before that I was a postman. I’ve had a few jobs but nothing beats playing football and living the dream.”
It was only a few weeks ago that Dennis played a crucial role in Notts County’s ultimately unsuccessful promotion push. He scored the game’s only goal in the play-off semi-finals to tee up a one-off chance to regain the club’s place in the Football League, only for his side to come up short in a 3-1 defeat at an eerily empty Wembley.
The striker believes that experience of playing in an empty ground will help him acclimatise to life in the Premiership though, with fans not expected to return to Scottish grounds until next month – starting with this afternoon’s clash with Stuart Kettlewell’s side.
“I’d say so,” Dennis replied when asked if his previous experience of playing behind closed doors would help him settle in to his new team. “Both the [play-off] games were on the telly so we know the process of what you have to do and everything.
“I think it will definitely help in the long run that I’ve experienced that in the last two games I’ve played.”
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