Experienced defender salutes young gun Baird

St Mirren’s Jack Baird has been tipped for the very top by someone who has seen first hand the potential of the young defender.

Much of the fanfare over the last week has been surrounding experienced centre back Gary MacKenzie signing a new contract, but the 31-year-old insists his defensive partner Baird deserves credit for the way he acquitted himself in the second half of last season.

The duo have both agreed one year extensions to their St Mirren contracts and MacKenzie reckons the future is bright for his 21-year-old counterpart.

MacKenzie told Express Sport : “Bairdy has been fantastic and really came on to his game in the second half of the season.

“He has all the ingredients to succeed at the top level and he has continued to improve over the course of the season.

“I would like to think that I have helped him with that.

“He has a real belief about him and I believe that he can only continue to get better and better.

“At the end of the season he was nothing short of immense. He doesn’t need me to tell him that but he deserves all the credit that is coming his way.

“The manager obviously sees something in him too and I am delighted that has been given a new contract. He can only get better with game time and you can see already that he has all the skills necessary to keep on the right track.”

The duo have been joined by the likes of Adam Eckersley and Kyle Magennis in committing their future to the side.

They have been supplemented by both Ross Stewart and Jordan Kirkpatrick who have both signed with the Paisley club.

MacKenzie has been impressed with the squad building carried out by manager Jack Ross since the turn of the season and says he is convinced that keeping the bulk of the squad together will be key to any success next season.

MacKenzie added: “The manager has done a lot of his work early doors and that is brilliant to see.

“He always said that he wanted to keep the majority of the squad together and he has been true to his word. I was always wanting to stay and the manager has done that with the manager getting a few boys tied down.

“Signing Cammy Smith on a permanent deal is also a great bit of business. He slotted in well last season and was a huge player for us come the end of last season.”