Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
David Irvine

Roland Idowu insists St Mirren 'perfect fit' after hitting double to sink Morton

To receive our full, free St Mirren newsletter straight to your email inbox, click here.


Roland Idowu reckons St Mirren are the perfect fit for him after endearing himself to supporters with a double against rivals Greenock Morton.

The on-loan Shrewsbury midfielder netted twice at Cappielow to earn the bragging rights and Communities Cup for his new club.

The 22-year-old is in Paisley for the season and has already featured in central midfield and then further forward in his scoring display in Greenock.

"That was the plan," said Idowu of making an early impression to fans. "St Mirren was a club I was really excited to come to and I want to contribute with goals and assists. I feel like I'm doing that.

"There's obviously a few things I'm trying to work on but the lads are really helping me with the tactical stuff and I'm just delighted to hit the ground running."

Idowu's scoring exploits haven't come by chance, with the Irishman taking on specialist coaching over the summer to ensure he was well-prepared for expectations in Scotland.

He explained: "It's something I've been working on during the off-season. I have people in Dublin I go and do one-to-one sessions with and it seems to be paying off.

"I'm just trying to get shots off. Some go in and some don't but I'm happy that I got the two.

"When you are an attacker, people expect it from you. If you are not scoring goals or creating chances there's going to be a question mark against your position.

"With the season I had last year, I just needed to make sure I hit the ground running. I wanted to stay on top of my fitness.

"Where they want me to play, and the fact that I can come in and drift out wide, means St Mirren were the perfect fit for me."


Read more: 


However, extra training over the summer months didn't fully prepare Idowu for the gruelling pre-season at St Mirren - including a training camp in the heat in Spain.

While Idowu was quickly convinced of a move to St Mirren through a friendship with team-mate Richard Taylor and the chance to play in Europe - he was also warned of the increased levels before making his move over the border.

"Playing in Europe was a big part of why the club was so attractive to me," he said. "I could see how good the group is, not only on the pitch but off the pitch.

"Pre-season has been very tough and definitely one of the hardest I've done in my career. I guess this is just how it goes in Scotland!

"I got a couple of inklings about it and people gave me a few hints here and there about it but I'm taking it in my stride. I'm just going to listen to what he [Stephen Robinson] says because that seems to work.

"Getting games and experience is the main thing. Coming here is a good standard and is probably as tough as League One if not tougher.

"I just want to impress the people that need to be impressed and see what happens."

On playing alongside pal Taylor again, Idowu added: "We were at Waterford together for a year.

"He's a really good lad and I really enjoyed playing with him. It was another thing that made me want to come to St Mirren and made it really comfortable settling in."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.