IN the midst of an otherwise unfamiliar scene, some welcome familiarity awaits Stevie Mallan. The forward has been a rare bright spot in an otherwise gloomy season for St Mirren, the reward for his performances and array of eye-catching goals a maiden call-up to the Scotland under-21 squad. It comes as something of a surprise that a player with such natural technical ability has never been capped at any youth level but, as he prepares to meet up the rest of Ricky Sbragia’s squad ahead of Friday’s Euro 2017 qualifier against Ukraine, he can at least find reassurance in the fact that not everything will be alien to him.
Firstly, the match will be played at St Mirren Park, his home stadium. And secondly, there will be the chance to once more play alongside John McGinn, the Hibernian midfielder who until the summer was to be found alongside him in the St Mirren midfield. Mallan is the latest promising talent to emerge from St Mirren’s five star-rated youth academy, and has eyed with interest the progress made by both McGinn and Kenny McLean in recent times. Both blossomed at St Mirren, become key figures in the team, gained international recognition and then earned moves to bigger clubs in the form of Hibs and Aberdeen. Mallan, still just 19, is not agitating for a transfer just yet but admitted the paths taken by his two former team-mates serves as additional motivation as he plots out the first few stages of his own career.
“John was among the first one to congratulate me when I got my call-up so it would be brilliant if I could play alongside him for Scotland,” he said. “He was always a couple of years above me at St Mirren and I would watch him and Kenny and try to take some of what they were doing into my own game. They were two I most looked up to. The goal for me is to try to emulate what they have achieved. They came through the ranks at St Mirren, did well, then got moves to bigger clubs. That’s the pathway for any young player at St Mirren.”
Mallan credits David Longwell as a key figure in his development. The St Mirren youth academy director spent the second half of last season as Gary Teale’s first-team assistant but has returned this season to his more natural habitat working with the club’s young prospects.
“You can see what the club is trying to do by pushing the young players through the system,” added Mallan. “Davie has been a massive help to me, ever since I first come to the club at four years old. He’s been with me every step of the way. I can’t thank him enough.”
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