Opportunity to be Buddies boss too good to turn down

New St Mirren boss Jim Goodwin admits the chance to return to Paisley was too good to turn down.

The Irishman, who was interviewed for the Dundee manager’s job a few weeks ago, has rejoined the club he captained for five years, after penning a three-year deal.

The 37-year-old replaces Oran Kearney, who was axed following a row with chairman Gordon Scott over his plans to commute daily from his family home in Northern Ireland.

Goodwin, who skippered Saints to their first trophy in 26 years when he lifted the 2013 League Cup, insists he will not take the opportunity ahead of him for granted after being given the green light by Alloa to move back to Renfrewshire.

Goodwin will officially start work on Monday when he meets his new squad for the first time as they jet out to Spain for a preseason camp.

In the meantime, youth coaches Allan McManus and Andy Webster were in charge of the team for last night’s friendly clash with Belfast amateurs Rosario Juniors.

Goodwin said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been offered the job as manager of this great club.

“I had three wonderful seasons at Alloa and loved every minute of it but the opportunity to come back to the place where I had my most memorable spell as a player was too good to turn down.

“This is a very proud moment for me and one I will never take for granted. I’m looking forward to meeting the staff and players next week, and genuinely can’t wait to get started.”

Goodwin, who will be assisted by his Wasps number two and former Saints defender Lee Sharp, racked up more than 180 appearances for Saints after signing from Hamilton in 2011.

Two years later he became just the fourth Buddies captain to get his hands on a major piece of silverware as Danny Lennon’s team toppled Hearts at Hampden, and his achievements as a player saw him inducted into Saints’ Hall of Fame in 2017 as part of the club’s 140th anniversary celebrations.

He joined Alloa after being released in the summer of 2016 and stepped up to replace Jack Ross as boss at the Indodrill Stadium three months later when his old Saints team-mate was lured back to Paisley himself.

Goodwin led the Wasps to promotion from Ladbrokes League One the following season and then guided them to Championship survival last year despite being the only part-time team in the division.