Sharp has graduated from the old school

Lee Sharp is a modern-day assistant boss who was instrumental in St Mirren’s tactical victory over Rangers in the Betfred Cup.

But the former full-back admits values instilled in him by some of Scottish football’s old-school gaffers were key to his development as a coach.

Sharp had spells at Dumbarton, Dundee, Clyde, Ayr United and Stranraer before hanging up his boots in 2013.

And it was learning from the likes of Ian Wallace, Jocky Scott, Tom Hendrie, Jim Duffy and Gordon Dalziel that helped him move into the dugout.

Murdo MacLeod, Neil Watt and Jack Ross were other influences along the way – and he’s now putting it all into practice as Jim Goodwin’s right-hand man at St Mirren.

The 45-year-old told MailSport: “Back when I was playing, I didn’t really absorb stuff – or take on board stuff I’d learned – until later in my career.

“The likes of Jocky at Dundee was very old school but it was straightforward. There wasn’t a great deal of tactics but you knew what you were doing.

“I worked with Murdo and Ian at

Dumbarton,

Tom at St Mirren. I tried to pick up little bits of how they structured things.

“I worked with Neil at Stranraer for three years and he was quite forward thinking, really good.

“His man-management skills were unbelievable. Neil was a successful businessman and he simplified everything.

“Then I had Jim at Clyde who was absolutely brilliant, tactically.

“So I had Neil at Stranraer, who got everyone together and used the man-management skills, then Duff who was tactically very aware.

“That was brilliant for me.

“All of these guys had a bit of old school in them and I think there’s still room for those types of values in the game now.

“There’s a time and a place to implement that kind of stuff.”