You wait almost 40 years for one European tie and then two come along at once. Well, sort of.
Already knee-deep in preparations for their first odyssey into UEFA waters since 1987, the carrot of a prospective Conference League third qualifying round tie against either Go Ahead Eagles of the Netherlands or Brann of Norway has been dangled in front of St Mirren should they make it beyond Valur of Iceland in the second round, a tie that opens with the away leg in Reykjavik on Thursday evening.
The novelty of a return to the European arena after 37 years means even just that one tie would likely suffice for most of their supporters but those inside the club are hoping this could be an adventure that stretches beyond the second leg with Valur a week on Thursday.
“You can feel how much the fans here want to be a part of it and we’re so excited to be representing the club and the town in Europe,” said captain Mark O’Hara.
“It’s an opportunity for us. The managers talks about us being up on the walls at the stadium the way teams and players of the past are and this is a great chance for us to achieve that. Whatever happens, the fans will remember this, but we really want them to remember it for the right reasons.
“We want a run, not just one tie. Obviously this is a tough start but we feel we’re capable of getting a result. The goal has to be that we come back here still in it because we’re confident of beating anyone on our own turf. The return leg’s a sellout and we want it to be something special.”
The bookmakers make St Mirren favourites to win in Iceland which is perhaps a surprise given Valur are at home on their artificial surface, are midway through their domestic season and crushed Vllaznia of Albania in the previous round.
With former Tottenham Hotspur and Everton midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson now pulling the strings for his hometown club at the age of 34, O’Hara knows Valur will be no pushovers.
“We’ve watched quite a lot of their league games and we’ve been sent footage individually to have a look at, so we’re under no illusion about their quality,” he added.
“Everyone watched the game the other night when they won 4-0 in Albania so we know how dangerous they can be. They are a very technical team who like to dominate the ball, to get it down and pass it, but we’ll have a plan to combat that. The manager likes us to press on teams and break against them.
“Obviously their big name is Gylfi Sigurdsson, who we all remember from his days in the Premier League and he can definitely still play. But again, hopefully we can keep him quiet.
“We need to be totally focussed. Valur are well into their season and, although the friendlies we’ve played can’t replicate that, we’re feeling fit and ready to go. When that adrenaline hits us at the first whistle on Thursday night, we’ll be ready for it.
“The standard in Iceland’s good, but we’ve been well briefed and we’re looking forward to it. This is a chance for us to make a real statement about our own qualities.”
O’Hara played in Europe during the Covid era as a Motherwell player but the prospect of boarding a charter flight for a UEFA tie clearly still thrills him.
“We’ve seen Scotland and other club sides meeting up at Glasgow Airport to catch flights to big games. We’re excited to experience it for ourselves now.”
