Flashback Junior loved it at Saints
There was a familiar face at Firhill for St Mirren fans on Saturday, although the smiles were only on one side at the final whistle.
For in the Partick Thistle dugout was former St Mirren striker Junior Mendes, now sport scientist and fitness coach with Alan Archibald’s side.
The talkative Englishman arrived in Paisley in 1996, joining from English giants Chelsea.
The pace and trickery of the forward made him a fans favourite, especially when he started to link up with the likes of Barry Lavety, Mark Yardley and Steven McGarry in the Millenium season.
Speaking to Express Sport earlier this summer, Mendes admitted it was one of his favourite seasons during a successful career that saw him play both north and south of the border. Millenium hero
St Mirren FC is a club with a proud tradition – and a history to match.
They have been at the centre of the Scottish game since their formation in 1877.
This week we look back at how Junior Mendes became a firm favourite at St Mirren in 1996.
Mendes said: “That season always brings back good memories but I think our success was kick-started by hammering Raith up in Kirkcaldy a few weeks into the season. We had already played a couple of games already but in my opinion that was the afternoon our season really got going.
“It sort of opened the floodgates and we never stopped scoring after that.
“We then had Raith a few weeks before the end of the season and that also proved to be a really important game come the end of the season.
“Myself and Mark Yardley scored in the last couple of minutes to secure a 2-1 win, and to this day it is the game that supporters talk to me about.”
However, at the end of that year, Mendes would go from hero to zero as he signed for Dunfermline, who had been the Buddies title rivals as the two teams achieved promotion to the top flight.
He would spend two seasons at East End Park before returning to the Paisley side, where he would have to win over the fans once again.
His return was brief, lasting one season before a much-travelled career in England with the likes of Mansfield, Huddersfield and Notts County.
Mendes returned north with Ayr United, before retiring after a spell at Highland League outfit Nairn County.
A brief cameo at Clydebank was the last we saw of Mendes, although he was simply helping out a friend as he focused on his coaching.