St Mirren legend Steven Thompson admits it’s still hard to wrap his head around scoring in a cup final for his boyhood club to help them lift a trophy.
And almost a decade later he insists the fact the Buddies did it the hard way to secure League Cup immortality back in 2013 makes it an even sweeter memory.
This Friday marks the 10-year anniversary of Saints’ historic 3-2 victory against Hearts, which saw them win the competition for the first time in the club’s history.
Having already netted the winner against Celtic in the semi-finals, Thompson wrote himself even further into club folklore when he netted St Mirren’s crucial second goal against the Jambos in the final to put them in front.
Danny Lennon’s Buddies would go on to seal a sensational win and bring the trophy back to Paisley, with the entire town celebrating deep into the night and early the next morning.
While Thompson quite can’t remember all of those celebrations back in several different pubs, the former striker understandably still enjoys looking back on the most poignant moment of his entire career.
Speaking to St Mirren fan podcast Misery Hunters, Thompson said: “Even 10 years on, it still seems a bit surreal. It’s still hard to believe it happened.
“To win the League Cup with St Mirren, especially coming into the latter stage of my career when you maybe think the chance of winning another trophy is gone, was incredible.
“I felt a massive responsibility to the supporters to make the most of the chance. You had a feeling you didn’t want to let anyone down.
“You know St Mirren aren’t in finals often and don’t win them often when they are, so I remember feeling an enormous weight on my shoulders.
“A lot of people in the crowd were people I knew. Being a local boy, it meant so much to me.
“It was cathartic how I felt after it, because the pressure and responsibility was gone. Having won it, it was a case of joy and just, ‘thank God we got it done’.
“I am a big believer in fate and I did feel like I was meant to score that day. It happened almost as if it wasn’t me that did it, I can’t put into words that feeling.
“To score in a final for your boyhood heroes, it’s impossible to do it justice. It’s a magic moment you’re just lucky to experience and I look back on it with gratitude.
“To have that beside my name as a St Mirren player is off the scale.”
Thompson continued: “Throughout the cup run, if you look at the teams we beat, to go up to Pittodrie and win was tough.
“Then we beat Celtic in the semi-final at Hampden and then Hearts in the final. I think it makes it that bit more impressive. It wasn’t an easy route we took. To score three goals against Celtic, that performance was the best I’d ever been involved in at St Mirren. We were brilliant and we had to be.”
To listen to the full interview, head to Misery Hunters Podcast.
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