Ryan Flynn

February 7, 2023February 27, 2023 / cairterscorner1877 / Leave a comment

Name: Ryan Flynn
Date of Birth: 4th September 1988
Place of Birth: Edinburgh, Scotland
Nationality: Scottish
Position: Midfield/Full Back
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 9.5st
Signed: 15th January 2018
Departed:
Debut: 20th January 2018 v Aberdeen (1-4)
Final Match:
Apps: 130
Goals: 2
Honours: 2017/18 Championship

An experienced and versatile member of the squad, the ever-popular Flynn joined Saints from Oldham in January 2018 under Jack Ross as Saints closed in on the Championship.

Perhaps best known as a winger prior to his move to Paisley, Flynn was eventually reinvented as a central midfielder and found real form under Oran Kearney in this position later in that calendar year and soon displaced even team captain Stephen McGinn as Jim Goodwin also preferred Flynn’s drive and energy next to Sam Foley in the middle of the park when he took over in 2019.

Flynn is also comfortable in a full back or wing back role and now 5 years at the club is the longest serving player currently at Paisley.

Mark O’Hara

February 3, 2023February 27, 2023 / cairterscorner1877 / Leave a comment

Name: Mark O’Hara
Date of Birth: 12th December 1995
Place of Birth: Barrhead, Scotland
Nationality: Scottish
Position: Midfield
Height: 6ft 3in
Weight: 12.6st
Signed: 1st June 2022
Departed:
Debut: 9th July 2022 v Arbroath
Final Match:
Apps: 30
Goals: 7
Honours:

Local lad O’Hara was the first signing announced by Stephen Robinson when he signed a pre-contract with Saints in March 2022 when still at Motherwell before officially joining the club on the 1^st June 2022.

Vice-captain of the squad, O’Hara has had the armband for most of the season as Joe Shaughnessy dropped out of the first team, and he has led by example with 6 goals from midfield including a vital goal in the 2-0 victory over Celtic in September.

A vastly experienced player despite being only 28 years of age, O’Hara includes Kilmarnock, Dundee, Peterborough and the ‘Well amongst his former employers as well as gaining 2 caps with Scotland under 21.

Tony Watt

February 3, 2023June 2, 2023 / cairterscorner1877 / Leave a comment

Name: Tony Watt
Date of Birth: 29th December 1993
Place of Birth: Coatbridge, Scotland
Nationality: Scottish (1 cap)
Position: Centre Forward
Height: 6ft
Weight: 11st
Signed: 31st January 2023 from Dundee Utd (Loan)
Departed: 31st May 2023 back to parent club
Debut: 1st February 2023 v Aberdeen (3-1)
Final Match: 22nd April 2023 v Kilmarnock (0-2)
Apps: 11
Goals: 1
Honours: None

An experienced forward with international recognition, Stephen Robinson moved to bring in Dundee Utd’s top scorer at the end of the 2023 January transfer window after his decision to loan Eamonn Brophy to Ross County and Jonah Ayunga unfortunately suffering a long-term injury.

Having played his football in England, Bulgaria, and Belgium as well as his homeland, Watt added a real know how and a streetwise approach to the attacking options as Saints attempted to break into the top 6 for the first time since the split was introduced in 2001, and the man of many clubs helped to do so with some good displays including a fine goal against Livingston on April 1st, his only for the club.

With a top 6 place secured after the final match of the regular season against Kilmarnock later in April, Watt unfortunately picked up a leg injury ruling him out for the rest of the season and all 5 matches in the top 6 as his brief time at St Mirren came to a premature end.

SEASON	DIVISION	LGE	GLS	LCP	GLS	SCP	GLS	APP	GLS
2022/23	Premiership	10	1	0	0	1	0	11	1

Thierry Small

February 3, 2023June 3, 2023 / cairterscorner1877 / Leave a comment

Name: Thierry Small
Date of Birth: 1st August 2004
Place of Birth: Solihull, England
Nationality: English
Position: Left Back/Wing Back
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 11.8st
Signed: 31st January 2023 from Southampton (loan)
Departed: 31st May 2023 back to parent club
Debut: 01/02/23 v Aberdeen (3-1)
Final Match: 24/05/23 v Aberdeen (0-3)
Apps: 15
Goals: 0
Honours: None

An England youth international, Small was signed by Stephen Robinson on loan from Southampton on the final day of the January 2023 transfer window, despite reported £3million interest from Tottenham to sign him outright, to provide much needed cover in the left wing back position.

In total the youngster played 15 times, including some brilliant performances particularly against Livingston in the vital 3-0 victory late in the season, however these positives were overshadowed by two red cards in crucial matches during the run in, the second of which gave Saints no realistic of chance of a comback in the season defining game at Pittodrie in what turned out to be his final match for the club.

SEASON	DIVISION	LGE	GLS	LCP	GLS	SCP	GLS	APP	GLS
2022/23	Premiership	14	0	0	0	1	0	15	0

Richard Taylor

February 3, 2023February 27, 2023 / cairterscorner1877 / Leave a comment

Name: Richard Taylor
Date of Birth: 2nd October 2000
Place of Birth: London, England
Nationality: English
Position: Centre Back
Height: 6ft 2in
Weight: 11.5st
Signed: 1st January 2023 from Waterford (Free)
Departed:
Debut: 7th January 2023 v Hearts (1-1)
Final Match:
Apps: 6
Goals: 0
Honours:

Taylor joined the club on the 1st January 2023 from Irish side Waterford, having made 35 appearances for the Blues during the previous calendar year, scoring once. Originally a product of the Burnley youth system, Taylor’s league experience in England came at struggling Southend United mostly in League Two where he was known for his pace and aggression in the tackle.

Following their relegation and subsequent financial issues in 2021, Taylor had short spells in English non-league football with Dulwich Hamlet and Dagenham & Redbridge before crossing the Irish sea in January 2022.

Declan Gallagher

February 3, 2023August 5, 2023 / cairterscorner1877 / Leave a comment

Name: Declan Gallagher
Date of Birth: 13th February 1991
Place of Birth: Rutherglen, Scotland
Nationality: Scottish
Position: Centre Back
Height: 6ft 6in
Weight: 13.5st
Signed: 26th June 2022 from Aberdeen (free)
Departed: 26th July 2023 to Dundee Utd (undisc)
Debut: 9th July 2022 v Arbroath (0-1)
Final Match: 22nd July 2023 v Arbroath (4-0)
Apps: 34
Goals: 2
Honours: None

Scotland international Gallagher was signed in the summer of 2022 by Stephen Robinson after Jim Goodwin allowed him to leave Aberdeen on a free transfer. Adding great presence to the back 3, the commanding centre back was also very comfortable on the ball and a leading defender in the Premiership for several years after being promoted with Livingston in 2018.

After starting his career at Celtic, Gallagher has also had spells at Clyde, Dundee, Livingston and Motherwell as well as gaining 9 Scotland caps and initially his form at Saints was good enough for Steve Clake to recall him into the Scotland squad in September 2022, although he was unused in matches against Ireland and Ukraine.

As Saints battled hard for a European position as the unorthodox autumn break for the World Cup approached, Gallagher continued to be an essential part of a very successful team, however following the resumption of football in late December, Gallagher struggled with a number of short term injuries and eventually lost his form and then place in the starting XI as the season concluded.

With Stephen Robinson no longer able to guarantee the defender a starting place, Gallagher decided to leave the club for Championship Dundee Utd in July 2023, ironically managed by Jim Goodwin who had previously freed him from Aberdeen to Saints only a year earlier.

Ethan Erhahon

February 1, 2023February 1, 2023 / cairterscorner1877 / Leave a comment

Name: Ethan Erhahon
Date of Birth: 9th May 2001
Place of Birth: Glasgow, Scotland
Nationality: Scottish
Position: Central Midfield
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 10.4st
Signed: 30th May 2017 from Youth Academy
Departed: 31st January 2023 to Lincoln City (£350k)
Debut: 28th April 2018 v Falkirk (0-1)
Final Match: 28th January 2023 v Motherwell (1-0)
Apps: 123
Goals: 4
Honours: 2 Scotland u21 Caps

Ethan Erhahon signed professional terms with the club in the summer of 2017 under the tutelage of Jack Ross, however the youngster had been at Saints since 2005 when he was just 4 years old and progressed through the various age groups within the academy in addition to being one of the first inductees of the national SFA Performance School.

Making his first team debut at the Falkirk Stadium on the final day of the promotion winning 2017/18 campaign still aged only 16 as a vital experience gaining stage of his development, the young midfielder found himself fast-tracked to the first team a few months later when the man who replaced Jack Ross, Alan Stubbs, was sacked after a dismal start to the 2018/19 season. With the transfer window shut and the squad having no left back, new manager Oran Kearney decided Erhahon could fill that role until the next signing period in 4 months time.

Despite having never played this position before, Erhahon performed admirably in this role as he made 23 appearances in his breakthrough season, scoring once against Alloa in the Scottish Cup, and collecting multiple Young Player of the Year awards in the summer of 2019.

During the 2019/20 pre-season, Jim Goodwin replaced Oran Kearney, meaning despite only turning 18 years of age, the youngster was now on his fourth manager as a professional at the club. Although he was used as a left back in the League Cup group stages, Goodwin returned the youngster to the under 20 side and he did not make a Premiership appearance the entire season, although this was a campaign cut short in March 2020 by COVID, by which time Erhahon had moved to Barnsley on loan where he joined their youth team for an assessment prior to a potential transfer which did not transpire as football shut down for several months.

The following season (2020-21) started and finished behind closed doors with Erhahon seemingly still not in the first team picture from the outset, until from nowhere in the sixth fixture of the league campaign, he started against Hibs at St Mirren Park on the 12th September 2020 in the centre of midfield and would be a regular in that position for the next two and a half years, where his probing passing and positional sense helped Saints shifting from a team almost always fighting relegation to a top six European football chasing side.

The youngster scored his first league goal for the club in November 2020 when he smashed a 30 yarder into the top corner at Pittodrie during a 2-1 defeat on a cold Friday night, and followed this up a few weeks later at home to St Johnstone in a 3-2 victory, but the Glasgow born midfielder only scored one more time for Saints, the following season at Livingston as he became more of a ‘protector’ in the side which contained attacking options from the middle of the park such as Jamie McGrath, Conor Ronan and Greg Kiltie.

The 2021/22 season was something of a watershed one for Erhahon, where he seemed to fall out of favour with Goodwin leading to specualtion about his future, but he returned to the first team when the 2013 League Cup winning captain moved to Aberdeen in February 2022 and Stephen Robinson took over as manager of the club. From here, Erhahon played his best football for Saints under the Northern Irishman, with his form improving considerably and importance to the first team growing to the point where his absence presented a significant loss for the starting XI.

With the club and player at stalemate over a new contract which was due to end in May 2023, Saints decided to cash in on their long term asset, and after seventeen years as part of the club, Erhahon signed for English League One outfit Lincoln City on the 31st January 2023 for a reported fee of £350k following 123 appearances in the black and white and 4 goals.

Career Stats (Saints only)

Goals Date
Alloa 19/01/2019
Aberdeen 02/10/2020
St Johnstone 19/12/2020
Livingston 02/10/2021

International Appearances (Scotland U21)

Opposition Date
Northern Ireland 02/06/2021
Northern Ireland 05/06/2021

Goals	Date
Alloa	19/01/2019
Aberdeen	02/10/2020
St Johnstone	19/12/2020
Livingston	02/10/2021

Opposition	Date
Northern Ireland	02/06/2021
Northern Ireland	05/06/2021

2023 Form

Ryan Strain

January 27, 2023May 23, 2024 / cairterscorner1877 / Leave a comment

Name: Ryan Strain
Date of Birth: 2nd of April 1997
Place of Birth: Coventry, England
Nationality: Australian
Position: Right Wing Back
Height: 5ft 11in
Weight: 12st
Signed: 28th June 2022 from Maccabi Haifa (Freedom of Contract)
Departed: 23rd May 2024 (Freedom of Contract)
Debut: 16th July 2022 v Cowdenbeath (2-0)
Final Match: 18th May 2024 v Celtic (2-3)
Apps: 64
Goals: 5
Honours: 5 Caps for Australia

A cultured right sided player comfortable at wing back or as a more orthodox winger, Strain arrived in Paisley after a spell in Israel with Maccabi Haifa, where injury limited him to just 15 appearances during his solitary season in the Mediterranean country.

Prior to this, Strain had spent his entire career in Australia, where he had moved as a teenager from England and gained citizenship in 2020, allowing him to make his debut for the Socceroos prior to the 2022 World Cup as a Buddie.

A free kick expert, Strain is famously the grandson of Saints legend Gerry Baker who played for the club between 1958-60, scoring 63 times in 85 matches, and the naturalised Aussie also endeared himself to the Saints support with a series of outstanding performances during the 2022/23 season where he managed 4 goals, 3 of which were from direct free kicks.

Despite repeated speculation about a move away from Saints in the summer of 2023, Strain remained in Paisley and started the season in similar form to the previous campaign when he set up 4 goals in the League Cup Group stages and scored the winner against Hearts in the Premiership in late September, his third goal against the Edinburgh side during the calendar year.

As Saints broke all sorts of records with their blistering start to the season, Strain was an integral part of the success along with fellow wing-back Scott Tanser, the pair forming one of the most potent wide teams in the entire country during this early spell, where Saints topped the division for a period.

Unfortunately, Strain suffered a serious groin injury after playing for Australia at Wembley against England, where he missed the best chance for the match to salvage a draw for the Socceroos, and this would lead to surgery for the wing back and an absence for over 4 months from the side where he missed over 20 league matches.

Saints found it extremely hard to replace the cultured Strain, although he did return for the important run-in to the season where 5th place and European football was confirmed, the best finish for 40 seasons. Despite having a contract extension on the table for 6 months, Strain announced via Instagram on the 23rd May 2024 that he was leaving the club after 64 matches, which was confirmed by Saints a few hours later.

SQUAD NO	SEASON	PRM	GLS	ASS	LCP	ASS	SCP	TOTAL APP	TOTAL GLS	TOTAL ASS
23	2022/23	36	4	6	3	0	2	41	4	6
23	2023/24	17	1	2	6	5	0	23	1	7
	TOTALS	53	5	8	9	5	2	64	5	13

Marcus Fraser

January 27, 2023February 27, 2023 / cairterscorner1877 / Leave a comment

Name: Marcus Fraser
Date of Birth: 23rd July 1994
Place of Birth: Kirkintilloch, Scotland
Nationality: Scottish
Position: Right Back/Centre Back
Height: 6ft
Weight: 11st
Signed: 28th June 2020 from Ross County (Freedom of Contract)
Departed:
Debut: 1st August 2020 v Livingston (1-0)
Final Match:
Apps: 118
Goals: 4
Honours:

A versatile defender, Fraser was signed by Jim Goodwin in the summer of 2020 from Ross County where he was captain at the Dingwall club. Previously, Fraser had spent his entire youth career and early period as a professional at Celtic where despite 38 youth caps for Scotland up to under 21 level, made only two appearances for the Parkhead club before moving to the Highlands in 2015.

Capable of playing either right back or wing back in a 3 or 4 defensive shape, Fraser is probably at his best at centre back, particularly on the right side of a 3-5-2 formation. Signed a 2-year contract extension in early 2023 which will take his time in Paisley to 5 years should he stay at the club.

Charles Dunne

January 27, 2023January 21, 2025 / cairterscorner1877 / Leave a comment

Name: Charles Dunne
Date of Birth: 13th February 1993
Place of Birth: Lambeth, England
Nationality: Irish
Position: Centre Back
Height: 6ft 2in
Weight: 13.7st
Signed: 2nd June 2021 from Motherwell (Freedom of Contract)
Departed: 24th May 2024 (Freedom of Contract)
Debut: 13th July 2021 v Dunfermline (1-0)
Final Match: 18th May 2024 v Celtic (2-3)
Apps: 91
Goals: 1
Honours: None

Dunne arrived in Paisley in the summer of 2021 after 4 injury blighted seasons at Motherwell where he had initially built a good reputation as a speedy and reliable centre back, before fitness issues meant he made only three appearances in his final two seasons at Fir Park.

Perhaps looked upon as a gamble due to these issues, Dunne had no real long term injury problems at Paisley apart from a hamstring injury during his first season, and played fairly consistently on the left side of Saints three centre backs, firstly under Jim Goodwin and then for the initial period under old mentor Stephen Robinson. At the outset, Dunne’s form was so good that Goodwin tipped him to join Jamie McGrath for an Ireland call up, but national manager Stephen Kenny thought otherwise and the London born defender remained uncapped during his time at Paisley.

During his second season at Paisley, with uncertainty over his future as Dunne stalled on a contract extension, the defender struggled for consistency post Christmas and eventually lost his place in the starting XI to new signing Richard Taylor, as the conclusion to the tense battle for European football drew to a close in the spring of 2023.

In the latter stages of the final match of the season against Rangers on the 27th May 2023, Dunne was brought on for Taylor, which looked to be Dunne’s 65th and final appearance for St Mirren. A few days later, on the 30th May, the club announced Dunne was leaving at the end of his contract to seek employment elsewhere after 2 relatively successful seasons in Paisley, however both parties made a surprising U-turn a fortnight later and the defender signed on for another season.

2023/24 would prove to be a difficult one for Dunne as he struggled to get much time on the pitch, in fact he managed only 740 minutes in the Premiership over 21 appearances, mainly as a substitute, the equivalent of 9 full matches. Dunne did manage his only goal for Saints however during this season, the opener at Rugby Park on a day to forget for everyone involved with Saints.

On the 23rd May 2024 it was announced Dunne would not be offered a new contract at Saints, and after 91 appearances for Saints, left the club.