Friends again
New boy Hayden can’t wait to face Jordan
It will be friends reunited at Rugby Park this evening as new Saints signing Hayden Coulson comes up against former Middlesborough teammate Jordan Jones.
And the new full- back, who arrived on loan from ‘Boro earlier this week, admits he draws inspiration from the way Jones has progressed his career since heading north of the border.
Coulson also highlighted the impact that Paul Dummett made at the Buddies when he arrived from Newcastle on a similar deal in 2012 before going on to nail down his spot in the Premier League in England.
Coulson said: “I was good friends with Jordan at ‘Boro until he parted company with us. We were team-mates in the treble-winning Under-18 team in 2015 but since then he’s come up here and smashed it. He’s shown what he can do up here and I’ll try my best to deal with him.
“Paul Dummett also came up here on loan from Newcastle a few years ago and that helped him to become a first-team player for them when he went back.
“He’s made a great career for himself and I’m looking to emulate what he did. With the likes of Celtic and Rangers here, you get the chance to prove you can perform on the main stage.
“I’m over the moon to be here. It’s my first loan so I’ve got to make the most of it and I grabbed this opportunity as soon as I could.
“Coming up here is a stepping stone towards where I want to go. It’s a good league to play in and, hopefully, I’ll get used to that.
“But I want to get experience. This is men’s football and I just need to crack on with it.”
Coulson, 19, had watched on with interest as England reached the latter stages of the World Cup before their exit to Croatia on Wednesday night.
Having worked his way through the international ranks himself, Coulson still holds out hope of one day turning out for the senior outfit.
He added: “I played for England at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-19 level. I played alongside Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold when I made my international debut in Ireland and he’s now at the World Cup.
“He’s gone on to do well and it just shows what can be done. I played left-back for England but I’ve also been used as a winger by my club so I’ve come here to get up and down that left flank .”