Quaner out to achieve cult status in Paisley
COLLIN QUANER is used to being hailed as a cult hero. And after some discussions with a couple of well-placed friends in the game, he reckons he can do the same at St Mirren.
A few eyebrows were raised when the Buddies announced the signing of the 29-year-old German, who only recently was training at Schalke in his homeland to maintain his fitness after being released by Huddersfield last summer. A cursory glance at the forward’s Wikipedia page reveals a player who has spent most of his career in the Bundesliga, which begs the question: how on earth did he end up in Paisley?
Quaner is the first to admit he wasn’t exactly well-versed in the minutiae of Scottish football before signing his short-term deal until the end of the season. But the pull of getting regular minutes in a competitive league proved too great to resist.
Goodwin’s latest recruit could be pitched in for his debut against St Johnstone this afternoon, and the forward admits he already has one eye forward to next weekend’s Betfred Cup semi-final against Livingston.
As a man who has delivered on the big stage before – Quaner teed up Nakhi Wells’
equaliser in the second leg of the 2016/17 Championship play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday, less than a minute after coming off the bench – he can’t help but hope he can endear himself to the St Mirren faithful with another momentous performance when the day arrives.
“I didn’t know much about Scottish football before St Mirren came in for me,” Quaner said. “Obviously
everyone knows about the big derby here and you always have an eye on Scottish football when it’s on Sky Sports.
“I wasn’t aware St Mirren had beaten Rangers to get to the semi-final. But then when the interest came I looked into it and saw the result and what is ahead for the team.
“Having a semi-final so early in my time here is great. It’s a real bonus for me and will be a good experience. Cups are always special and I have a feeling already that it’s big for St Mirren.”
He continued: “I have always had that feeling in my career that the underdog can do well.
“But getting promoted to the Premier League with Huddersfield [in 2017] definitely showed how important is to have character and spirit – as well as high quality. We had a bunch of lads who believed in each other and lifted us up.
“That was the main reason why were so successful at Huddersfield and the gaffer David Wagner made us believe in each other.
“That showed me what is possible in football. In fact, anything is possible. Why can’t St Mirren do the same in the cup? I see the same character in our dressing that I did in Huddersfield’s. We can definitely win the cup and that would be brilliant.”
After the deal was made public, it wasn’t long before an old team-mate got in touch; Aaron Mooy, the Huddersfield midfielder who spent the early part of his career at St Mirren and remains a popular figure among the fans to this day.
Quaner explained: “When I joined St Mirren, Aaron sent me a message and said, ‘Hey, you look to play for the same clubs as me?’
“He is a good guy and we had a great time together. I heard he is a bit of a legend at St Mirren.That’s the same at Huddersfield and it’s a good sign for me that Aaron had a good time here.”