St Johnstone legend, Chris Millar, believes Jack Baird is the ideal foundation stone for the rebuild of his old club into Championship title winners.
The 2014 Scottish Cup winner was a team-mate of Baird’s in 2019/20, when the centre-back spent his first spell at Morton, at that time on loan from St Mirren.
Millar, who still lives in Greenock, and keeps a close eye on both his old clubs, knows all about the qualities Simo Valakari’s first summer signing will bring to the Saints team as they seek to bounce back to the Premiership following last season’s relegation.
He also knows what it takes to be part of a league-winning side, having secured promotion under Derek McInnes in 2009.
And according to Millar, the early recruitment signs are positive for the McDiarmid Park club now that Baird has been snapped up on a two-year deal.
“As soon as I heard the news, I thought this would be a really good signing for St Johnstone,” Millar told Courier Sport.
“Bairdy’s a great guy, good about the dressing room.
“He really wants to do well and improve. He’s an aggressive defender and good enough with the ball as well.
“What you see is what you get.
“He always struck me as a player with a great attitude – hard-working on the training ground and stands up to be counted in matches.
“In the Championship you need somebody at the back who will be commanding and aggressive.
“All the Morton fans are saying he’ll be a big loss because he was a stalwart of their team.
“It brought back memories of when I made the same move.
“No disrespect to Morton, but he’ll think that St Johnstone have got a better chance of winning the title and getting into the Premiership.
“That’s what was in my head.
“It wouldn’t be a surprise if Simo makes him captain.
“He’s that type of player – vocal on and off the pitch, with a lot of experience.
“And 29 was around the age I was playing my best football.”
Backing himself
For obvious reasons, much has been made of the course and distance factor in Valakari identifying a player who knows the league inside out.
But Millar stressed that the 29-year-old will view this move as an opportunity to help take Saints into the top-flight AND keep them there.
“Absolutely,” he said.
“Bairdy will back himself to keep improving and will want to test himself at the highest level.
“Having a hunger to go to the next level was something Del was looking for – players who are ready to play in the Championship and want to get the chance to show they can do it in a higher league.
“You can find gems who have been overlooked for a variety of reasons.
“Del was able to do it and hopefully Simo can as well.
“It’s about getting the profile of player you believe will fit what you’re trying to do.
“St Johnstone will be one of the favourites to go up.
“It’s a very hard league and they’ve got a bit of a job on their hands to build a new squad over the summer and sort out the deficiencies they felt they had last season.
“But that’s a good, solid start signing Bairdy.
“You always build from the back – that was certainly the case in my time at St Johnstone.
“Consistency, strength, aggression and dependability are needed and that’s exactly what he’ll bring.
“You always need players who know the league and have proven they can do a good job there. Bairdy’s been a top performer in the Championship.
“The manager clearly knows the profile he needs and Bairdy ticks all the boxes.”
McInnes sales pitch
Millar proved to be one of the final pieces in the jigsaw for Saints the last time they were promoted.
He recalled that McInnes was pushing at an open door with his 2008 sales pitch.
“I’d met Del when he trained with us at Morton when he was between clubs as a player,” said Millar.
“When it came to him wanting to sign me it was an easy sell for him.
“I’d looked at the squad he was building and what he’d done the year before after taking over from Owen Coyle.
“Looking at the team and the manager, I thought there was a great chance of going up.
“They weren’t missing a lot, and I was confident that I could add something myself.
“Everything was right – the club, the stadium, the fans.
“I couldn’t wait to get started.”
As a 2014 cup-winner, Millar knows that his place in club folklore, and those of his team-mates, is untouchable.
Over the course of a grim, relegation campaign the contrast between previous dressing rooms and last season’s among the fan base was inevitable.
Going down has book-ended that special 16-year era and Millar is excited to see what comes next under Valakari’s leadership.
“It’s a brilliant club,” he said. “I was gutted they dropped out of the division.
“But the league table never lies and unfortunately St Johnstone weren’t good enough.
“There’s no reason to think they can’t bounce straight back up.
“It’s time for a new story.
“That era which I was part of has been and gone now.
“Over the last few years, it’s been a downward trajectory from when I was there and after I left.
“It’s unbelievable what was achieved.
“A Scottish Cup and then a double. It was a brilliant time and a golden era, as they say.
“But you always get transition and change, even at the biggest clubs.
“Just look at Manchester United at the moment.
“St Johnstone have got new owners, a new manager and are building a new squad.
“It’s time to focus on right here and right now – we’re in the Championship and let’s get back up as quick as possible and start building again.”
Boyes and Gullan next?
Millar can see the method in the Finn’s recruitment strategy.
“Morgan Boyes has got ability,” he said.
“You don’t stay at Liverpool’s academy for so many years if that isn’t the case.
“It’s hard when you come out of a big club like that.
“For me, it was Celtic.
“But he’s got plenty of game-time over the last few seasons and this could be the point he’s ready to kick-on again.
“I went down to the bottom division with Morton but had the desire and work ethic to get back as high as I could.
“You see boys with a career path like Morgan’s.
“Calvin Miller is another one.
“Look at the season he’s had with Falkirk after playing at a number of clubs where people weren’t really talking about him.
“If you’ve got the right character and mentality – and find the right club under the right manager – you can do that.
“These gems are out there. The job of the manager is to find them and bring it all together.
“Getting the right blend isn’t easy.”
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