Stevie: I played career best for Ross at Saints

STEVIE MALLAN admits Jack Ross got his career motoring at St Mirren – now he wants another kick-start at Hibs.

The 23-year-old made the Championship Team of the Year for the 2016-17 campaign after Ross swapped Alloa for Paisley.

The midfielder is well versed with reunions at Easter Road as ex-boss Paul Heckingbottom followed him north from English second-tier side Barnsley.

Now it’s Ross in the hotseat as Hibs look to break into the Premiership top six in his first game in charge at home to Motherwell tomorrow.

Mallan said: “It wasn’t going great at St Mirren before he came in.

“I did kick on when he came in and probably played the best football of my career in the last six months of that season. I was scoring goals, contributing to the team. We had a lot of pressure on us at the time and that had a lot to do with it.

“There was no question about it. We had to get points, had to win games that we weren’t expected to win.

“Against Hibs or Dundee United, we had to go out and get results. I gained a lot of experience from that.

“I improved as a player and have Jack to thank for that.

“He gave me a lot of freedom to play. He brought in Stephen McGinn. That helped because he was more of a sitting midfielder and let me go forward.

“I ended up scoring quite a lot of goals and him giving me that freedom to play with a great bunch of players around me, he let me go and perform.

“He would take that serious side away from it and let you go and enjoy your game – even though we were wanting to win every Saturday.”