Paisley Daily Express

There’s no rest for us

Oran will keep dealing

- Craig Ritchie

St Mirren boss Oran Kearney insists the Buddies’ business is far from over following a relentess start to the transfer window.

An action-packed week saw Saints take their tally of total departures to 12, with Cammy Smith and Adam Eckersley heading up the latest exits.

But with the likes of Greg Tansey and Mihai Popescu signing up to the Paisley cause, Kearney reveals he is hopeful of tying up even more deals.

The Northern Irishman admits that January has so far proven a hectic month, having spent much of 2019 camped out at Ralston all hours of the day as he, and chief executive Tony Fitzpatric­k, look to get deals, both in and out, over the line.

Kearney told Express Sport: “We are getting there but there is still a lot of work to do and still a couple of other ones we are trying to push on and get over the line.

“We are working hard and credit to the staff behind the scenes here, at the club, and down at Ralston because they have been putting in a power of work to ensure that everything is going as smoothly as possible.

“Tony has been here every day with me.

“We have been working from seven-to-seven shifts every day to try and get things done.

“It has been crazy, a big effort from everyone has gone into getting the paperwork all sorted, and we are happy with how it is progressin­g.

“That will no doubt continue throughout January but that is just the nature of this month.”

Meanwhile, Kearney paid tribute to both Smith and Eckersley as they both moved on to pastures new at the end of last week.

With Smith heading to Dundee United and full- back Eckersley switching to Forfar Athletic, Kearney conceded it is hard to see players, who have made such a contributi­on to the club in recent years, depart.

He added: “We wish Adam well and thank him for his efforts.

“Cammy has had a frustratin­g season to date. He has been in and out of things and it hasn’t clicked the way he, or we, would have wanted.

“I have said before that Cammy’s contributi­on to the club has not just been this half season.

“The previous couple of years of what Cammy has given to the club have been phenomanal and I think it is all important that we remember that.

“He is happy to go out and get playing and that is the key thing for someone his age.”

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BusyOran Kearney

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