St Mirren's latest recruit says he can't wait to get in amongst the action after joining on loan until the end of the season.

Billy O'Brien has joined Jack Ross' side from English Premier League side Manchester City and the Wales U21 international goalkeeper admits he champing at the bit to get started at the Buddies.

Speaking to stmirren.com minutes after completing the move, O'Brien said: "I'm over the moon.

I'm very excited to get started now. It's been a long wait for myself to try and get the right sort of move.

I've been waiting since December and I just feel like it's a great club to come to. I feel very welcomed in the short time I've been here already and I'm ready and raring to go now."

O'Brien sees the move as a good opportunity to gain first team football experience similar to Tim Krul and Kasper Schmeichel, who both had loan spells in Scotland before making household names of themselves in the English Premier League. But while he's here to learn, O'Brien knows he's also here to help the club as it looks to move off the bottom of the league.

I think there are big names that come here and all it does is boost your career," he said. "I'm using it to get games under my belt but I'm also here to help the club get to where they deserve to be as well. 

"It was always the idea to get out at Christmas and it's a vital part of my career now and I need to go and play games that matter. I need to be in an environment where winning is the only thing that matter and that's what I've come here to do."

The 21 year-old has been involved around the Manchester City first team this season and heaped praise on England international goalkeeper Joe Hart, with whom he worked closely with at the Citizens. 

I've been involved quite a lot this season. I went to pre-season in China, we went to Germany to play Bayern Munich and just being in with them day-to-day was a great experience. I was lucky enough to be involved in the squad down at Spurs away and Celtic up here which was probably the best atmosphere I've experienced in a ground.

"I worked with Joe a lot but didn't get the chance to work with Claudio [Bravo] much as he didn't come in until the end of pre-season. But Joe Hart, in my eyes, is one of the best in the world. He's a great bloke, he's an unbelievable goalkeeper and just to see him day in day out when he was at City was great."

Billy's experience of being involved in the Champions League squad against Celtic has given the stopper a taste of what Scottish football is like and he is excited by what lies ahead in the next few months.

It's a very competitive league and if you do well in this league it can lead to bigger things. I'm also a person that loves a fight and I think this club is in a position that it shouldn't be. I'm really excited to get the fight started and get the club back to where it belongs.

"I think the fans are very enthusiastic about football. I think it's a physical league which is important for my next step and I'm really looking forward to getting started. It's been a crazy couple of days but I'm ready and raring to go and I can't wait for Saturday should I be involved." 

This coming Saturday (21st January) St Mirren head to 'The City of Discovery' for a William Hill Scottish Cup, 4th Round tie against Dundee at Dens Park.

The latest info on Travel Clubs heading to Dens Park for the match is as follows:

Cockles Wilson Supporters Bus

The bus for Dundee will leave at 11:00am.

Please note that we will be stopping in Auchterarder on the way up for a light refreshment.

Bus tickets are now available in the Bankhouse.

Tile Bar Supporters Bus

The bus going to Dens Park for the Scottish Cup tie against Dundee will leave at 12:00pm (noon).

As this is a cup tie all members must pay on the day. If any members are not going please get in touch with Kenny or Rab to confirm.

Chivas Travel Club

The bus for the cup tie at Dundee will leave at 12:00pm (noon).

Non members tickets are now on sale from The Court Bar.

North End Travel Club

The bus to the Scottish Cup tie in Dundee will leave the Sneddon at 12:30pm.

Bus tickets on sale in the Brewers Tap, £7 each.

* Wheelchair users and carers who want to attend this tie should note that a list will not be submitted for this match, you must purchase a ticket from the St Mirren Ticket Office.

Tickets for the match are now on sale from the St Mirren Ticket Office and there will also be a pay-gate at Dens Park on the day of the match.

The St Mirren Ticket Office opening hours for the remainder of this week are as follows:

20/01/2017 - 10:00am to 2:00pm
21/01/2017 - CLOSED

Ticket Office Phone No: (0141) 840-6130.
St Mirren Ticket Office E-Mail: tickets@stmirren.com.

Additional Information for Travelling Fans

Tomorrow, Saturday 21st January, St.Mirren head to 'The City of Discovery' to face Dundee in the 4th Round of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

The gate/ticket prices have now been confirmed for the cup tie at Dens Park and these are shown above.

The referee tomorrow is Bobby Madden and he will be assisted by Graham Chambers and Jordan Stokoe.

For directions to Dens Park click here

St Mirren Football Club is delighted to have secured the services of Billy O'Brien on loan until the end of the season.

The goalkeeper joins the Buddies on loan from English Premier League side Manchester City subject to international clearance. 

The 21 year-old has been capped by Wales at U21 level and featured in Manchester City's Champions League squad this season.

We'll have quotes from the stopper on stmirren.com tomorrow.

Jason Naismith has left St Mirren to join Ladbrokes Premiership side Ross County.

The 22 year-old joins the Dingwall outfit, subject to clearance, for an undisclosed fee having signed a pre-contract with them earlier this month. 

An academy graduate, Naismith made his debut for the Buddies as a half time substitute in a 1-1 draw with Aberdeen on February 25 2012. The defender scored four goals in 106 appearances for the Saints with his milestone 100th appearance coming in the 3-2 win over Queen of the South at Palmerston in December 2016. 

The club would like to wish Jason all the best with his career in the future. 

The stadium based supporters club can now accept new applications for the SMFC 1877 Supporters Club. 

Members enjoy access to the club pre and post match enjoying the bar facilities, hot food, Sky TV games, memorabilia and trophy area as well as a Kids Zone with Xboxes and Playstations. 

Members can also sign their friends in as guests paying only £3 for access. Regular attendees include board members along with current and former players. 

There is a £50 joining fee (£25 for Under 16s) and a monthly subscription of £10 for adults (£5 for Under 16s). 

Apply by emailing supportsmfc@hotmail.co.uk and/or visiting the dedicated supporters club website www.smfc1877club.com

The board are happy to announce that the club will be subsidising part of the cost of the four official supporters club buses for Saturday's trip to Dundee.

Saints face Paul Hartley's side in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup at Dens Park this weekend and the club is keen to repay supporters for their loyalty throughout this season. We hope that the gesture will help see a strong travelling support back the buds as we look to try and continue our good from in cup competitions this season. 

Chairman Gordon Scott said: "Supporters are the lifeblood of this club and we are delighted to be giving something back to them. Their support really does matter to the management and players and is never taken for granted. Attending away matches is a huge commitment for fans and we hope this will entice as many as possible to make the journey." 

St Mirren FC Official club partner, Utilita Energy, today announced a multi-year strategic marketing alliance with Live Nation Entertainment, the world's leading live entertainment and ticketing company that will see the company become an official partner of two major UK festivals:

• PARKLIFE, in Heaton Park, Manchester, scheduled for June
• V FESTIVAL, which takes place in August in Essex and Staffordshire.

An additional festival will be announced in the coming weeks.

Utilita will activate the partnership under a new sub-brand - Utilita Live - which will also see two Utilita-sponsored gigs during the year under that banner. 

To ensure Utilita customers have a one-stop shop to the premium offerings for these selected festivals and gigs, Utilita launched a new website - www.utilita-live.co.uk - which will boast a string of offers, giveaways, money-can't-buy experiences and pre-sale tickets for its near 500,000 UK customers. 

A new video ran today to announce the partnership - to see it, click here.

Jem Maidment, Head of Marketing & Communications, Utilita Energy, said: "Our growth has been one of the energy sector's major success stories in recent years and our ambitions are sky-high - now the time has come to really announce ourselves. We have an outstanding opportunity in 2017 and beyond to talk to a whole new audience - by sharing in our passion for music. 

"We're thrilled to be working with the truly world class team at Live Nation. The conditions are perfect. We have trebled our customer base in just two years and expect to make an even bigger noise in 2017 - literally! For Utilita, this is a game-changer." 

Paul Latham, Chief Operating Officer UK & Ireland, added: "We are excited to welcome Utilita to the Live Nation family and provide their customers with unparalleled access to some of our greatest festivals in the UK. 

"We are confident Live Nation will help Utilita connect with new audiences, deepen their relationship with pre-existing customers and transcend their brand even further."

For more information please contact:

jamesheyes@utilita.co.uk or jemmaidment@utilita.co.uk or call 07464 480413

St Mirren made their fourth signing of the January transfer window yesterday with the completion of the deal to bring in Josh Todd.

The 22 year-old joins Craig Storie, Rory Loy and Pål Fjelde in joining the Buddies in 2017 after leaving fellow Ladbrokes Championship side Dumbarton at the start of the month.

The midfielder spoke to stmirren.com after completing 90 minutes in the St Mirren U20's SPFL Development League match against Aberdeen at the Paisley 2021 Stadium last night.

He confessed that moving from part-time to full-time football was a huge lure for him and he's happy to finally have the deal over the line.

I'm relieved because it's taken a few days," he said. "I'd have liked to have been involved at the weekend against Dunfermline if I was chosen. But it's good to have gotten 90 minutes and I'm going to be onboard and giving my all until the end of the season. 

"I'm really excited," he continued. "It's been one of my goals for a few years [to go full-time] and St Mirren's a massive club. I just want to do all I can to help the club and going from part-time to full-time was a big part of the decision."

The Englishman spent several years at Annan before joining Dumbarton in July 2016. He believes his experience with the Sons in this division will stand him in good stead as the rest of the season unfolds.

I've played a lot of games in my time at Dumbarton. I'm a bit older now, I've got a bit more maturity and I've picked up around 20 league appearances and hopefully that can help my hit the ground running and start enjoying my football. 

"I'm quite a fit boy and I like to run in behind and he [Jack Ross] wanted a few players who could stretch the game. He had a look at me in training and said I was the type that he could see long term at the club with my age. I'm going to give it my all and I'm just glad to be onboard. Full-time football is my goal and I'm not going to rest on my laurels. 

"I've been in training and I can tell by the way we train that the boys are more than capable." 

The St Mirren U20s lost a goal in injury time to lose in their first match since the mini winter break. 

The Young Buds hosted Aberdeen's U20s in the SPFL Development League at the Paisley 2021 Stadium last night and it was the visitors who opened the scoring on 14 minutes when Connor McLennan broke through on goal and lobbed Christopher Henry in the Saints goal. 

Saints were level 20 minutes later through Cameron MacPherson. The midfielder ghosted in at the back post to volley home David Clarkson's cross to equaliser.

And the Young Buds were ahead minutes before half time when Conor McBrearty reacted the quickest to poke the ball beyond Dons goalkeeper Robbie Mutch to give Saints a lead going into the break.  

Aberdeen equalised around the hour mark when Seb Ross followed the ball into the net after a save from Henry fell at his feet. 

Both sides had chances to win it, with new signings Josh Todd and Pål Fjelde going close as time ticked down.

Just as the match looked to be heading for a draw, David Dangana popped up in the 92nd minute to head home for the visitors and seal a dramatic 3-2 win. 

Match gallery pictures by John Millar - © millarpictures