Saints are my saviour

Paul’s ready to rumble

Paul McGinn insists his first spell at St Mirren was the making of him as a player.

McGinn was confirmed as the club’s second signing of the summer on Friday as he prepared to join his brother, and skipper, Stephen in committing to the club for next season’s assault on the Premiership.

The right back arrived on a free transfer from recently- relegated Partick Thistle, five years after leaving the club for Dumbarton.

The 27-year-old has since enjoyed stays at Dundee and Chesterfield but says he is looking forward to finally getting the chance to pull on the black and white stripes of the Buddies, having failed to make a top team appearance during his first spell.

McGinn said: “I’m definitely a better player than I was when I was first at St Mirren.

“It was difficult at first. When I first came to St Mirren I had an operation in the summer, and I don’t know if people know this, but I signed outwith the transfer window from Queens Park - I was an amateur, so I couldn’t sign as a professional until the January.

“The day I came back from Queens Park on loan, that Sunday St Mirren won in the semi-final of the League Cup.

“Within three days Jack Ross was on the phone and I was away back out again, this time to Dumbarton, so I never quite got the chance to show what I could do with St Mirren.

“But they were doing well and I’m a better player now for it.

“I’m delighted to be back though. They’re obviously a club on the way up and hopefully we can continue to do well this season.

“It helps that I know the club so I know what I’m coming back to.”

McGinn was the last piece of business done by Jack Ross prior to the manager’s exit to Sunderland earlier this week.

And he revealed that the former Saints gaffer played a part in getting him to join the club – as did his brother Stephen.

He said: “Throughout the season, I think Jack Ross and James Fowler had still been watching me, and I know him from my time at Dumbarton.

“When I left St Mirren initially it was because of what they were doing at Dumbarton. Maybe with the way this club was at the time I sort of thought that was my best chance to progress. Luckily enough it has worked out for me and I have been an SPL player for a while.

“Obviously if Stephen was saying bad things about the club it could have made a difference, but he was always raving about the way the ship is being run.”