He’s the captain of our ship but for how long?

Will he, won’t he? It’s a saga Saints fans have become all too familiar with over the last couple of seasons.

Jack Ross is a wanted man. But that’s a good thing, isn’t it? If he was a flop, no-one would be casting admiring glances in his direction and St Mirren would still be struggling in the Championship.

The success he has achieved over the last 18 months at this club will never be forgotten, regardless if he decides to make the move south.

This is a man who turned a great, hulking ship around as it trundled slowly towards oblivion. It was a Herculean task for him and assistant James Fowler, but they did it. And with finesse too.

Jack jumped behind the wheel and chaperoned the club to safer waters, before sailing it to the promised land.

And he did it playing football admired throughout the country, bleeding young talents like Lewis Morgan and Kyle Magennis into the first team without hesitation. He succeeded where others failed. Of course other clubs want him to jump ship.

He knocked back Dundee, he knocked back Barnsley, there is every chance he could do the same with Ipswich and still be in the dugout come flag-raising day at the start of the season.

But we shouldn’t kid ourselves on. He is a much admired young manager. And who can blame him for assessing his options, appraising fresh challenges.

We should be proud that St Mirren gave him the opportunity to show what he can do, to build a team the fans can be proud of.

But we should also be thankful, that regardless of what happens, he will leave the club in a position to build for the future, regardless of who is in the managerial hot seat.

The infrastructure of the club is now in such a place that any new manager will be given a ship with solid rigging and a talented crew to man it.

With skipper Stephen McGinn and Craig Samson signing new deals, the team will have a good blend of experience and youth. And no doubt the club are already working behind the scenes to attract quality additions to supplement the squad.

And make no mistake, St Mirren is an attractive option. A chance at the Premiership with a club going places represents an opportunity many players around the top flight will be looking at favourably.

I wouldn’t be surprised if some very decent names walk through the doors at Greenhill Road this summer – again, regardless of who will be the manager next season.

We have seen some departures already, club legend John Sutton joins Morton’s coaching staff and we wish him well. But not too well.

A slew of players left the club after finding opportunities limited, good luck to them all. Football is a tough sport.

If Captain Jack joins them on the way out, then it will be hard to take.

The future is not going to be plain sailing – it never is – but at least the boat isn’t sinking fast anymore, far from it.

It’s full steam ahead.