Caolan Boyd-Munce proved he isn’t the type of player who is happy to sit on his hands.
And the playmaker insists he’ll let his feet do the talking now he’s finally found a new home in Paisley.
Less than three months ago Boyd-Munce made the brave decision to tear up his contract with high-flying Championship side Middlesbrough after long spells on the sidelines at the Riverside Stadium.
At 23, the Belfast native felt he had to make a move to ensure his fledgling career didn’t stall in England’s north-east.
When a potential switch fell through on transfer deadline day in January, Boyd-Munce took the plunge and left Boro without a concrete offer in place elsewhere.
While proposals eventually came in from all over the UK, it was the Buddies that came out on top in the race for his signature.
Now that Boyd-Munce has started to settle into life at St Mirren, he’s confident he can shine and get back to the kind of form that persuaded Middlesbrough to snap up the talented youngster from Birmingham in January last year.
When asked about leaving Boro, he told the Paisley Daily Express: “It was a heat of the moment thing, to be totally honest.
“It was deadline day and it got to about 10pm. I was supposed to make a move earlier that day but because something came up, with other players not leaving other clubs, it fell through.
“I felt I had to do something. It was either sit there to the summer and not play or do something about it.
“The club were brilliant with me to be fair. They understood my point, reluctantly, but they saw something had to be done.
“I just want to get myself into tip-top condition, enjoying my football again and knew the rest will fall into place.
“Truthfully I am a stresshead. I always have been. But recently I’ve just been frustrated without having a club.
“There were clubs here, there and everywhere in contact – Scotland, England, Wales – so I wasn’t too worried.
“I was just waiting for the right one and as soon as I came here I knew this was the one I wanted.
“I wanted to come to a club where there was a plan in place, it wasn’t just to see what happens. I took the jump because I believed in their vision.
“Hopefully I can get the opportunity to show what I can do here.”
A key factor in Boyd-Munce’s initial interest in a switch to the SMiSA Stadium came from management duo Stephen Robinson and Diarmuid O’Carroll.
The Northern Ireland under-21 international worked with the St Mirren gaffer in the IFA youth set-up, building an early relationship that has seen them reunited in Paisley.
Boyd-Munce believes Robinson will be able to tease the best out of him again as he looks to play his way back into international contention.
Still chasing a first senior cap for his country, Boyd-Munce said: “I was a little baby back then, I think it was the under-14s. Robbo was our IFA coach at Northern Ireland. He worked with me closely and I played with his son, so he’d seen me anyway.
“I’ve got nothing but good memories of working with him. The previous relationship was key to me coming here and whenever you’re looking at joining a new club, you always look at the personnel there, the players and the coaches.
“When I knew Robbo and Derm were interested I was so keen. And when I met the boys in the dressing room, I was sold even before I got on the training pitch.
“That’s in the back of my head [the Northern Ireland squad], of course. It’s one of the reasons why I left Middlesbrough because I’ve had call-ups in the past. I know that will be an option again, but if I’m not playing then it won’t be an option.
“I need to get myself fit and involved here before I can even think about playing international football.”
Despite having a previous relationship, Boyd-Munce knows he’ll get no favouritism from Robinson as he looks to break into the St Mirren starting XI.
After making his Buddies debut as a late substitute against Dundee United last weekend, the midfielder hopes he can be more involved in the coming weeks as the Paisley club make one final push for a top-six spot.
Boyd-Munce added: “Robbo was probably a bit angrier back then than he is now!
"He hasn’t changed too much though. Now that I’m older we can speak to each other on a more level playing field.
“He’s not lied to me, he’s been totally honest and said it’s not a case that I’ll just come in and play straight away.
“I need to earn my spot and no matter if we have a personal connection from before or not, the person who works the hardest and
plays the best will be in the team.”
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