Mallan is staying put
Stevie Mallan insists he is solely focused on Saints following a month- long transfer saga that saw him almost depart the club.
The midfielder was subject to interest from English Championship side Barnsley throughout the January transfer window, only for no move to materialise following weeks of speculation that he would leave the club he has been at since the age of four.
But instead of thinking what might have been, Mallan says all he wants to see is the Paisley club return to their former glory.
Mallan said: “If it had happened, then I would have been delighted but I’m equally delighted to stay at St Mirren.
“If it had came about then it would have been hard to leave a club that you have been at since you were four-years-old, and until that day comes I am still going to work hard to try and get St Mirren back in the Premiership.
“You have to aim high. Obviously just now it is hard to do that but we have to do everything we can to get out of the rut we are in just now and that starts against Ayr at the weekend.
“This club means everything to me. I’m a local boy and I’ve been staying in Paisley for 12 years now, maybe even longer.
“To come through the youth system, I need to thank all the coaches that brought me through and to make it to the first team is a dream come true.
“It hasn’t been easy, a couple of times I’ve almost been let go but the head of youth at the time, David Longwell, kept with me and it’s paid off.
“I’m just trying my best to give the club back everything that they have invested in me.”
St Mirren face a massive clash with relegation rivals Ayr this Saturday at Somerset Park as they look to reduce the deficit on the ninth-placed side.
They head into the tie on the back of cup victories over East Fife and The New Saints, and Mallan admits their second-half performance over the Welsh side could be the boost they need heading into Saturday’s game.
He added: “All the boys said going into the two cup games that we had to get a couple of wins to have a bit of confidence going into the game with Ayr United.
“It was brilliant to score four goals at home because it is something that we haven’t done for a long time, so to go and do that is a confidence booster.
“The gaffer went through us at half-time and deservedly so.
“The first half wasn’t good enough but we made a couple of changes at half-time and thankfully it worked for us.
“We have to claw back at them and Dumbarton, and next week is just another cup final for the boys.”