Stephen Robinson learned just how important team spirit is when he helped Michael O’Neill guide Northern Ireland all the way to Euro 2016.
And the experienced manager insists the St Mirren players supporting from the bench this season have been just as important as those shining on the pitch.
Much like that Northern Ireland team, the Buddies have been upsetting the odds and punching above their weight. They sit fifth in the Premiership table, on the cusp of a top-six spot and a potential European football tilt.
With a trip to Tynecastle this afternoon to face stuttering Hearts, Robinson believes the unity inside his dressing room is the key factor behind the Paisley club soaring above expectations already this campaign.
And he pinpointed stand-in skipper Mark O’Hara and club captain Joe Shaughnessy as summing up just how tight-knit the St Mirren dressing room is.
Robinson told Renfrewshire Live Sport: “I remember when we [Northern Ireland] went to the European Championships, the biggest thing I took away from it was how important the 12 players were that never played.
“Their attitude and how they drove the squad on was so important and we’ve certainly got that in abundance here.
“The older players are the key to everything here because they influence the younger ones. We’ve got four or five captain-types that run the dressing room, I don’t have to get too involved in it which is perfect.
“The ones in the team are easy, it’s the ones who are out of it that dictate the team spirit.
“You get all different types of captains. Mark is quiet, I’ve had others who are very vocal.
“What Mark does is lead by example. In terms of his professionalism, his attitude around the place. He’s such easy maintenance. He’s constantly in the gym and his energy and leadership on the pitch is first class. He’s an example to everybody.
“Mark never gets loud, he’s very composed. He’s very intellectual, which is a bit rare in football. He’s been perfect for me, on and off the pitch.
“Credit to Joe Shaughnessy as well, the two of them have led the squad all season.
“We’ve got four or five captain-types that run the dressing room, I don’t have to get too involved in it which is perfect.”
St Mirren blew away any notion of struggling to cope with pressure last weekend when they blitzed Livingston in the first half with a rapid start that led to three unanswered first-half goals.
Robinson admits he’d love a similarly quick start at Tynecastle, with the Hearts support ramping up pressure on their boss Robbie Neilson after a concerning run of form.
He said: “Against Livi we got our crowd going with how quickly we started. We spoke about how poor the start had been against Dundee United and we responded to that.
“We started superbly and we did it by playing in the right areas, putting balls into their box and hurting them. Against Dundee United we played in front of them and lost first contacts and those small percentages early in the game add up.
“We took the game to Livi and the game was effectively over at half-time. Hopefully we can start the same way against Hearts.
“We know it’s a difficult venue to go to. We’re looking forward to it and we know if we can get an early goal or a good spell of pressure early doors then we can turn the crowd and take the momentum away from them.
“What I do know is Hearts are sitting third in the table and are a very good team. They’ve got very talented players.
“Everyone goes through tricky patches throughout the season. Nothing surprises me in football. It’s become a game where one win makes you a good manager, two wins makes you great and you can be the worst manager after one loss.
“I think Robbie is a very good manager and Hearts are a fantastic club. We are under no illusion this is a very hard game for us. A very tough place to go to, but we went there recently and coped with them well and were unfortunate not to come away with a point.
“We were the better team against them at home, in my opinion, so we don’t go there with any fear. We go there with respect but full of confidence.”
Defender Declan Gallagher is fully fit for the trip to the capital, with Aussie star Keanu Baccus also coming through the Livingston game unscathed.
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