Former St Mirren stars believe future is bright for midfield talent Cammy MacPherson

The 21-year-old was one of the first names on the team sheet before lockdown struck Scottish football.

Talented 21-year-old Cammy MacPherson has picked up the PDE St Mirren young player of the year award.

The promising midfielder was unananimously chosen by current gaffer Jim Goodwin, former striker Steven Thompson and Express Sport as this year’s rising star.

The swashbuckling academy product has enjoyed a breakthrough season, which started with the Colt team's successful run in the Scottish League Challenge Cup.

He helped lead the youngsters on an impressive campaign that saw them beat senior sides Stirling Albion, against whom he scored the winner, and Dumbarton before losing out to Wrexham in Wales.

After finding senior appearances difficult to come by in the first half of the season, MacPherson burst onto the scene in December - bagging the winning goal against Hamilton at New Douglas Park before rifling home a free-kick against Celtic in a narrow defeat Paisley.

The battling midfielder was hardly out of Goodwin’s starting XI after the winter break, shining in the middle of the park whilst also filling in at right back as and when required.

Thompson has been so impressed with the development of MacPherson that he believes he could have been in with a shout for the overall player of the year award.

He told Express Sport: “Cammy has come on terifically well this season.

“For a two-month spell he was arguably the best player at the club. He was the top man which for his age is really promising.

“He’s very versatile which I know Jim likes. His best attribute is that he’s a ball winner. He’s not scared to go into battle which is what the club needs going up against the bigger boys in the division.

“His ball striking is very good too. His ability from set plays is going to be important going forward.

“If he’d been in the team just a little bit longer I think he could well have been up for overall player of the year.”

Saints manager Goodwin is looking forward to working with the youngster next year and believes he can keep progressing thanks to his terrific attitude on the training ground.

He said: “Cammy would be my young player of the year, no doubt about it.

“He’s got a bit of confidence about him and a belief in himself that good players need. I think he’s understanding as well now the levels he needs to reach to stay in the game.

“You need to be a good professional and he’s proving that all the time now.

“He’s working hard in the gym and he’s also learned not to dive into too many daft tackles now, which means we’re getting more games out of him.

“Cammy is one of the best at the club over a dead ball. I think he could score more goals from free-kicks and give us better corners as well if he had just a bit more belief in his ability in those situations.”

The overall winner of the Express Sport St Mirren player of the year will be announced tomorrow.