Doyle-Hayes keeps his options open amid St Mirren interest

Soccer news

Jake Doyle-Hayes has yet to commit to a longer period at St Mirren as he keeps his options open, it has been reported.

The Ballyjamesduff man enjoyed an excellent season for the Buddies, who defied expectations with a fine campaign in the Scottish Premier League.

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin, a native of Waterford, is keen to secure Doyle-Hayes on a longer contract but the Cavan midfielder, currently nursing a hip injury after being forced off after 40 minutes in 2-1 win over Inverness in the Scottish Cup, has yet to commit.

Goodwin has made no secret of his desire to get the talented 22-year-old signed up for next season, after the former Aston Villa youth star hit the ground running when he joined the club in November.

But it now looks likely that his future lies elsewhere, with his agent currently exploring other options for the Irish midfielder.

Goodwin told the Daily Record: “We’ve made extension offers to three or four of the boys in the group, because we feel their performances this year merit a reward.

“Obviously there’s one or two who are coming up to the end of their contracts. Those negotiations are ongoing.

“We’re confident that we’ll be able to hang on to the ones we want to.

“The Jake Doyle-Hayes one is a little bit different. His agent wants to explore what other options are going to be out there in the summer. They’re well within their rights to do that.

"Hopefully, they’ll have enjoyed it that much here this year they want to be part of the project we are working on.”