KEEP A HOLD OF KEARNEY
Ferdinand says Saints must secure boss’s future
ANTON Ferdinand has urged the St Mirren board to move heaven and earth to keep manager Oran Kearney at the club next season.
The Buddies retained their Premiership status with a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out victory in Sunday’s play-off final second leg against Dundee United.
Kearney has been persistently linked with a return to his former club Coleraine in Northern Ireland but Ferdinand believes retaining the 40-year-old is imperative for the Paisley side.
Kearney will take a holiday now and a welcome break after the pressure of the season’s climax, with Ferdinand applauding his contribution since taking over from Alan Stubbs in September.
‘To see the manager come through it all has put a big smile on my face,’ said the brother of former England and Manchester United star Rio.
‘He’s one of the good guys in football and deserves all the praise and success he gets.
‘It’s important that the club keep the manager here, that’s for sure. He has achieved a lot in a short space of time and there’s definitely something for him to build on.
‘As a player, it’s not really my place to talk about that. But he has been successful here and the club needs stability.
‘I’m pleased for the boys and I am pleased for the manager.
‘I have been in this situation before and it’s not nice. I had to draw on all of my experience to help the boys get through this. Seeing the boys do it has put a smile on my face.’
Ferdinand, for his part, looks to have played his last game for St Mirren after helping keep Kearney’s side in the top flight.
The 34-year-old defender came off the bench in the latter stages of Sunday’s match in what was his first appearance for the Buddies since the beginning of April.
‘I have no idea what the future holds,’ said Ferdinand, who featured 19 times in total for St Mirren. ‘Do I still want to play football? Yes, I think that much is clear. I have no idea if that will be here.
‘The sun was shining on the football club at the weekend. I came on and I thought I did well. I enjoyed it. I’ve tried to help steady the ship and I think I managed to do that.
‘It was an emotional day. These lads might not appreciate what they have done; what they have achieved. But in a few years’ time, I know they will. It will start to sink in.
‘If it’s to be my last game, then it’s a great way to leave.’
Ferdinand didn’t take a penalty as Saints prevailed in the shoot-out but used his influence in a different way.
Home keeper Vaclav Hladky was the hero of the afternoon with three stops to deny United — who missed all four penalties — but Ferdinand revealed he offered his colleagues tips on how to stay calm ahead of the shoot-out.
‘I spoke to some of the boys before they took their kicks,’ he said. ‘I told them to pick a spot and be assertive. I’ve missed a few myself and I know what the pressure is like. I thought we handled that superbly.
‘Vaclav has been fantastic since he came in and to save three penalties was incredible. It was a real team effort on Sunday and that’s one thing the manager made clear to us.
‘I’ve done all I can the last few weeks to help the team. That’s just in my DNA. When you play for West Ham from a young age, that’s drummed into you.
‘You help the younger lads. I know how hard these highpressure games can be. I played in these games. Sometimes it was Teddy Sheringham giving me advice, the next time it was my brother.
‘I had people there for me, so I will always be there for others.’