BACK WHERE WE BELONG
McGinn always believed his Buddies could do it
St Mirren skipper Stephen McGinn is adamant the Saints are back after sealing the Championship title.
The midfielder was overcome with emotion as the Buddies secured the solitary point they needed to put the league beyond any doubt, thanks to a 0-0 draw with Livingston.
The result brought an end to three years of playing in Scotland’s second tier, and there is no-one more excited about getting to return to the top flight than McGinn .
“We are back where we belong”, said the captain.
“It is hard to describe how I feel. The last 30 seconds, when the whole ground knew we had done it, it got a bit emotional.
“I probably didn’t enjoy the first five minutes after we won it because I was a bit of wreck.
“The journey we have been on since last January is amazing, but it is something that we can all be immensely proud of.
“Some of the performances that we have delivered in high-profile games has been top drawer and I am so proud of everyone in that dressing room.
“We know how tough next season will be, some of the cup games this year have already shown that. But we want to try and keep as many of this team as possible.
“We know we will lose Lewis Morgan, but no-one is as happy as he is to see this through, which is fantastic.”
McGinn has been seen by many as the catalyst to the Saints’ turnaround as he has marshalled the side through their relegation escape – and now Championship win – since returning to the club last January.
And he admits it was a hard sell to some in his family when he made the decision to switch Wycombe Wanderers for a Saints side that had looked like a basketcase last year.
He laughed: “Not everyone in my personal life supported my decision to come back here and it was seen as a bit of a sinking ship.
“But I knew how good it could be, if we could get to this stage. But I also didn’t think it would be just 18 months down the line.
“It just shows you what can happen at a football club when you have everyone pulling in the one direction. You only need to look at the turnout that we got at the game – it was incredible.”
It had been touch and go whether or not McGinn would even play against Livingston on Saturday having pulled up with a hamstring problem against Dundee United just three games before.
But he insists he would have missed it for the world.
“I probably shouldn’t have been playing the last two games,” he added.
“I think there is a slight tear in my hamstring and I was worse than a man down in the second half at Tannadice.
“But I couldn’t have handled being at the side watching. I am really glad to have got through the game.”