Baccus bids Paisley fans farewell with move close
AN emotional Keanu Baccus has thanked St Mirren and their manager Stephen Robinson for their support as the midfielder revealed that the game against Celtic on Saturday was his last for the club.
The Australian internationalist is coming towards the end of his contract with the Saints, and Robinson said recently that he had not given up hope that he would accept the offer of a new deal to remain in Paisley.
But the 25-year-old has now said that he will be leaving the club as he looks to pursue his dream of playing in England.
“It’s most likely my last game for the club as I’ll be moving on,”
Baccus said. “We’ll see in the next week or so – I’m still keeping my cards close to my chest a little bit.
“But coming to St Mirren has been nothing short of a dream come true. From being a young boy, I’ve always wanted to play professional football. I did that at my hometown and then managed to get some sniffs to go overseas.
“I chose to come to St Mirren and I couldn’t have asked for a better place. The staff, the players in the changing room and the fans have all been outstanding.
“I then got to go to a World Cup, getting into the top six in the Premiership twice. And I go out with the team getting into Europe. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of boys to work with.
“It’s been a tough decision to make. I had a sniff last year and it didn’t quite work out but I believe everything happens for a reason. I came back to work hard for the club and do my best to better what we did last year.
“If I am away then I wish all the boys and all the staff all the best for their European journey and the next season. I’ll always watch out for their results and will still feel part of it a bit.”
If he does win a move south of the border, Baccus is in no doubt that he could not have dreamed of doing so had it not been for the platform that St Mirren provided for him.
“My dream has always been to play in England, and I’ve made that clear over the last 12 months or so,” he said.
“I don’t want to leave the UK – I want to stay here – and do my best in the next place I go. God willing, there will be another World Cup for me too.”