Stevie can shine

Stuart salutes Mallan

Former St Mirren midfielder Stuart Taylor insists Stevie Mallan is in for a treat as he prepares for life in the English Championship.

Taylor has experienced the highs and lows of football south of the border having served as Paul Lambert’s assistant at both Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The duo both left Wolves last week having been in the hotseat for just over a year.

Mallan is getting set to join up with Championship side Barnsley having sealed his move to Oakwell shortly after the end of the season, with the Saints netting around £300,000 plus add-ons for the 21-year-old’s services.

The Scotland under- 21 international had courted interest from sides both in Scotland and England, but Taylor revealed that it is a great switch for Mallan.

Taylor told Express Sport : “Barnsley are a great club, really well run, and it is a great move for Stevie.

“Hopefully he is given an opportunity and a platform to show what he is capable of, but it just goes to show you that the chance is still there for young Scottish players to make their mark and move to England.

“It is a very difficult league. It is very demanding and it can be relentless.

“But it will be a great experience for him and he will get to take in some massive clubs, go to a lot of big grounds and play in front of some huge supports.

“Don’t get me wrong, it is a very difficult level to play at but that is why it is seen as one of the most competitive leagues in the world.

“But the fact that a club like Barnsley are happy to pay a fee to sign him up means that they have obviously seen something special in him.”

Despite spending the last few years in England, Taylor insists he still keeps an eye on the St Mirren scores on a weekly basis.

Having broke through at Love Street aged just 18, under the watchful eye of Tony Fitzpatrick, he admits he still has a spot in his heart for the side.

And he says he was blown away by the way the club managed to turn their fortunes around in the latter stages of last season.

Taylor added: “It was an incredible run. Obviously a lot of people at the club would have been fearing the worst.

“The St Mirren score is still one of the first I check at the weekends. I know the season wasn’t how they would have planned but it will have no doubt still have created a lot of special memories for the fans and players.”

 For a full interview with Stuart Taylor, pick up Wednesday’s Express Sport.