ORAN IS READY TO JOIN BUDDIES

ORAN KEARNEY is ready to sign a three-year deal with St Mirren to become the club’s new manager.

After being approached by the Buddies on Wednesday, Kearney thought long and hard about the offer but the suggestion from those close to him last night was he is ready to depart Coleraine to take up a new role in Paisley.

Kearney had been interviewed for the job in the summer but St Mirren opted to appoint Alan Stubbs, right, instead pointing to his experience in Scottish football even though the Coleraine boss had delivered the most impressive presentation.

Less than three months into the job Stubbs was sacked on Monday and within 48 hours, St Mirren had asked Coleraine chairman Colin Mckendry for permission to speak to Kearney.

It is understood Stubbs, who won the Scottish Cup as manager of Hibs, had an uneasy relationship with the players virtually from the start of his reign which ended with three league defeats in a row. and with St Mirren second bottom of the table.

St Mirren were so keen to land Kearney that representatives flew over to Northern Ireland to talk terms and offer him the post.

Initially Kearney, the son-in-law of former Kilmarnock boss Kenny Shiels, was recommended to St Mirren by Northern Ireland manager Michael O’neill.

He has earned a fantastic reputation in the Irish League with the way he has built his squad, bringing through young players and increasing crowd figures last season when Coleraine won the Irish Cup – their first major trophy in 15 years – and coming runners-up to Crusaders in a gripping title race.

Shiels, now in charge of Derry City, believes Kearney would be a success at St Mirren.

“He’s organised and that’s the kind of manager you want,” he said.

“St Mirren will have a good guy, a really good manager. Someone who is straight and doesn’t suffer fools. He’s streetwise, sincere and honest.”