He’s got pride and passion... I’m glad Gary is still a Saint
The signings continue to come thick and fast for St Mirren.
But, if you ask me, they have already made their biggest of the season.
The re-signing of Gary MacKenzie is as good as a bit of business as you possibly can get over this summer’s window — although the permanent addition of Cammy Smith from Aberdeen surely, sends a bolt of confidence into Saints prospects for next season. But back to the main man himself. Not many players from the beginning of last season could have their head held high throughout a torrid time. MacKenzie had his woes with injury, but whenever he played he was at the top of his game.
A no-nonsense man mountain who, at times, looks to have been transported from a bygone era, MacKenzie was pivotal in the side’s revival as they defeated the odds to beat the drop. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can beat him in the air. And there is no chance that he is ever going to shirk a tackle.
With interest rumoured to have come from the likes of Hibernian and Motherwell, it would have been easy for the former Dundee man to turn his back on the club following a season that failed to live up to the billing he was promised.
Keen to return north of the border to be closer to his young family, Mac was served promises from Alex Rae that the side he’d be joining would be challenging at the right end of the table.
Of course, it never transpired that way and, arguably playing at least a level below what he should be, few would have blamed MacKenzie if he had decided to walk away at the end of his contract.
Instead, despite the length of his new one- year deal, MacKenzie is a man committed to righting the wrongs of last season.
Speaking to him in the midst of the celebrations at Easter Road at the start of the month, he was quick to declare himself a St Mirren supporter.
He admits he had little to no knowledge of the club prior to his arrival, but the side is now ingrained in him.
Hard times can often pull a group closer together, and that it did with Saints, the side and the fans last season.
MacKenzie is everything the fans want and the side needs.
It could be argued that he is one of the best centre halves to play for the club in a generation and, if he can stay fit the full season, he will prove to yet again be an invaluable asset.
And, for those who say footballers don’t care anymore, that footballers don’t share the passion of the fans, then they should grab a word with the man himself.
In the middle of the chaos and turmoil of last season, it would have been easy for MacKenzie, who has achieved a lot in his career, to shrug his shoulders.
Instead, in a post-match interview, he singled out his teammates and told them there was no room for excuses.
With the passion of the North Bank, he blasted some of them for not pulling their weight. Stopping short of naming names, MacKenzie echoed the sentiments of each and every fan paying their way through the turnstiles to watch what, at the time, was nothing short of abysmal.
He was the first to admit that it simply wasn’t good enough,
So we could spent the Mallan money on X, Y and Z. It might buy you the skill, but it will no doubt be unable to replicate the passion and pride of MacKenzie when he pulls on the black and white stripes next season.
MacKenzie was pivotal in the side’s revival as they defeated the odds to beat the drop