Ross has done a fantastic job

Ex-Saints star Mixu praises Buddies boss

Former St Mirren striker Mixu Paatelainen has heaped praise on current Buddies boss Jack Ross after watching their resurgence from afar.

The big Finn insists he was left impressed by the Paisley club’s battle to beat the drop. And with the side taking momentum into next season, Paatelainen, who was a coach under former boss Gus MacPherson, reckons the Saints can only go from strength to strength.

The ex-Aberdeen and Hibernian striker was last in charge at Championship rivals Dundee United, as they were relegated to the second tier of Scottish football.

Currently working as an observer for Uefa, Paatelainen talked on the phone as he waited on his plane from Cardiff, having taken in Saturday’s Champions League final between Real Madrid and Juventus for the European governing body.

Talking about his former side, the 50-year-old was just as clued up on the black and white stripes of the Paisley side as he was about the Italian giants he had witnessed less than 24 hours beforehand.

Paatelainen told Express Sport: “The club, as a whole, have to take confidence from how they finished the season. At the end of the day, the job that Jack Ross managed to pull off was nothing short of marvellous.

“It goes without saying that many thought it would be a struggle to keep them up. It was a massive job to take on for him at that point.

“He’s a lovely guy and a really good coach and you can see the club is getting the rewards for his efforts.

“They have now got to build on that and take it into next year. They clearly have the makings of a very good squad and I’m sure they will build on that once they get started for next season.”

Talking about the job that Ross has done at St Mirren, it is easy to forgot that it is a position that Paatelainen could have held.

He held discussions with the St Mirren board about the vacant position prior to Ross’s appointment but both parties decided to take the talks no further. And he insists he still keeps a keen eye on the side.

Paatelainen added: “I had a chat with them at the time, but it was nothing more than that.

“The chairman and the guys involved are all good people and passionate about their club, so I was delighted for them to see St Mirren stay up.

“It is a club I had a great time with as a player and one that I had a good relationship with. They are a good, traditional club and one I have a lot of time for.”