“Jim taught me so many good habits which have served me well in the game,” said Alan, who hopes to stay in football as a player now that a nasty thumb injury he picked up late last season has cleared up.

“I could have stayed at United, but moved to Saints for regular first-team football. Paul brought me to McDiarmid Park and was a huge influence on me.

“And there are team-mates I’ve looked up to.

“At United for example, the dressing-room was full of international players.”

Alan won two First Division titles with Saints, one under Paul, the other under Derek McInnes, and little did he realise when he was a raw teenager playing in the Highland League for his native Lossiemouth and then Elgin just how good a career he would have.

“Winning two league championship medals was great, so was getting to a League Cup Final with Saints and playing against a star-studded Monaco side in the UEFA Cup.

“Now I’m looking forward to another big day tomorrow.”

Alan has been coaching young Rangers goalies for a while and will continue working with keepers at Ibrox ranging from U/10s to U/17s.

And he can be a massive influence on them, just as Jim McLean and Paul Sturrock have been on him.

Saints flew back from Northern Ireland today after their two-match trip there saw them emerge unbeaten. They followed up a 1-0 win over Distillery with a scoreless divide against Dungannon Swifts.

Their trialist goalkeeper was Lubos Hajduch, capped five times by Slovakia and presently with Greeks Levadiakos.

Saints are also being crediited with an interest in keeper Mark Brown of Hibs whose previous clubs include both halves of the Old Firm, Inverness CT and Motherwell.

Stuart McCaffrey has left for Morton, and Derek said, “I wish Stuart all he best. He played a huge part in getting us promoted to the SPL and served the club well.”

Striker Stephen Reynolds has been named in the Scotland U/19 squad to face Malta next month.