JIM GOODWIN hopes to fast-track Eamonn Brophy’s switch from Kilmarnock this month as the St Mirren boss challenged the striker to follow Lyndon Dykes’ example at Livingston by regaining his spot in the Scotland set-up and win himself a big-money move down the line.
Brophy, 24, agreed a pre-contract move to Paisley earlier this week and will join up with his new team-mates this summer once his deal at Rugby Park expires – unless the Buddies can convince Alex Dyer to part with the striker during the January window.
Goodwin believes he has a chance of doing precisely that, arguing that the forward is struggling for game time in Ayrshire and isn’t a great fit for Killie, and reckons that he and his coaching staff are best placed to reignite the former Hamilton man’s career.
“I think Kilmarnock are a little bit more direct than we are and they’re very, very good at it,” Goodwin explained. “They have got [Nicke] Kabamba who has led the line for them and they’ve got one or two other big target men.
“There’s many ways to play this game. There’s no right or wrong way, it’s just about getting results. But clearly, Eamonn Brophy doesn’t fit into that style of play because he hasn’t been starting regularly.
“I think he’s only had four or five starts throughout the whole campaign. For me, a player of his quality is wasted sitting on the bench.
“We would love to bring him in during this window. He would go straight into our team because I think he’s a brilliant player who has been unfortunate not to find himself playing as regularly as he would like.”
Goodwin reckons Brophy can offer his side a new dimension in attack, pointing out that his St Mirren side are among the league leaders when it comes to creating chances – the problem, he says, is that his forwards have not been taking them.
While Brophy only has two Premiership goals to his name this term, Goodwin is convinced that the striker’s tendency to hit lots of shots will transform his side’s attack.
He said: “If you look at the stats for chances created and entries into the opposition box, we’re right up there. We’re in the top four or five in the league.
“What we’ve been missing is a Brophy type who’s a really good finisher and can put the ball in the back of the net.
“He loves to get his shot off, which I really encourage from all my players. He doesn’t need told twice to try and work the goalkeeper or hit the target.
“Other than just scoring goals I love his all-round attitude. He’s my type of player. He works hard for the team and he doesn’t give centre-halves a second on the ball.”
That physical side to Brophy’s game reminds the St Mirren boss of Scotland internationalist Dykes, who joined Queens Park Rangers in a £2million move last summer after an impressive stint in West Lothian.
Goodwin believes that the Killie striker should be looking to Dykes as an example of what can be achieved in the Premiership – adding that a return to form could see Brophy reclaim his spot in Steve Clarke’s international squad.
Goodwin said: “He’s got that nasty, kind of physical streak in him as well. He won’t be bullied at any moment in the game either so he ticks all the boxes for me.
“He’s a fantastic age and I said to him when I spoke to him on the phone that he’s got to look at what the likes of Lyndon Dykes has done at Livingston and believe that he’s capable of doing the same.
“Lawrence Shankland seems to be in ever-present in Steve Clarke’s squads at the moment – why can’t Eamonn Brophy be like Shankland or Dykes?
“That’s how we’ve sold it to him here. If he comes here as our main man, leads the line for us, puts the ball in the back of the net and we’re at the right end of the table – where we want to be and where we expect to be – then he’s got to be knocking on that door.
“Eamonn has obviously saw it that way as well. There’s no point in Eamonn going to a club where he’s going to be competing with another four or five strikers and having another season like the one he’s just had at Kilmarnock.
“I believe wholeheartedly that Eamonn Brophy is good enough to lead the line in this league and if we get him in here in January that’s what he’ll do for us.”
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