St Mirren keen to retain Doyle-Hayes

Soccer news

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin has provided an update on the future of Jake Doyle-Hayes at the club. The 22-year-old Ballyjamesduff man joined the Paisley side on a short-term deal in November and has earned rave reviews for his midfield performances.

The player’s contract expires at the end of the season, and Goodwin has disclosed that although discussions with his agent have taken place about a new deal, as yet there has been no agreement, according to NotTheOldFirm.com.

“It’s a bit of a long, drawn out process at the moment. We made a contract offer to Jake maybe eight weeks ago now. But his agent is well within his rights to do what he’s doing. He’s trying to test the market no doubt, and see what else is out there,” Waterford native Goodwin began.

“But I’ve had great conversations with Jake. We’ve spoken about how well he’s done, why we think he’s doing so well. We believe he’s playing in a team that plays to his strengths.

“I think we gave Jake an opportunity in the summer, when nobody else did. So, I think Jake’s enjoying it. He appreciates how we try to do things here. He’s settled in very easily, so I think the player is desperate to stay. We’re not a million miles away I don’t think, I would really like to get it sorted by the next couple of weeks” Goodwin revealed.

Doyle-Hayes has featured regularly for St Mirren since joining the club. He has made 15 appearances in all competitions and came off the bench in the win over Celtic at Celtic Park at the weekend, having recovered from an injury that saw him miss two matches.