Keanu Baccus bids emotional farewell to St Mirren as midfielder looks to move on

An emotional Keanu Baccus has thanked St Mirren and their manager Stephen Robinson for their support as the midfielder revealed that the game against Celtic on Saturday was his last for the club.

The Australian internationalist is coming towards the end of his contract with the Saints, and Robinson said recently that he hadn’t given up hope that he would accept the offer of a new deal to remain in Paisley.

But the 25-year-old has now said that he will be leaving the club as he looks to pursue his dream of playing in England.

“It’s most likely my last game for the club as I’ll be moving on,” Baccus said.

“We’ll see in the next week or so - I’m still keeping my cards close to my chest a little bit.

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“But coming to St Mirren has been nothing short of a dream come true. From being a young boy, I’ve always wanted to play professional football. I did that at my home town and then managed to get some sniffs to go overseas.

“I chose to come to St Mirren and I couldn’t have asked for a better place. The staff, the players in the changing room and the fans have all been outstanding.

“I then got to go to a World Cup, getting into the top six in the Premiership twice. And I go out with the team getting into Europe. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of boys to work with.

“It’s been a tough decision to make. I had a sniff last year and it didn’t quite work out but I believe everything happens for a reason. I came back to work hard for the club and do my best to better what we did last year.

“If I am away then I wish all the boys and all the staff all the best for their European journey and the next season. I’ll always watch out for their results and will still feel part of it a bit.

“I still follow my hometown team in Sydney and look out for them, but I’ll be following St Mirren even closer because I was part of the journey getting the club back into Europe.

“Honestly, I wish them all the best.”

If he does win a move south of the border, Baccus is in no doubt that he could not have dreamed of doing so had it not been for the platform that St Mirren provided for him.

“My dream has always been to play in England, and I’ve made that clear over the last 12 months or so,” he said.

“I don’t want to leave the UK - I want to stay here - and do my best in the next place I go. God willing, there will be another World Cup for me too.

“But my dream has always been to play in the Premier League and you need good people to push you. And everyone at St Mirren have done that.

“I couldn’t be more thankful to the boys the gaffer, the backroom staff and the fans. I made a big sacrifice to come to Scotland, leaving behind family and friends back home. It’s been a great thing for them to watch from afar.

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“I’m sure I’m doing everyone proud, and I aim to continue that with whatever comes next.

“I had sniffs of coming to the UK when I was really young, but I probably wasn’t ready or mentally mature enough for it.

“I believe I chose the right time to come over and for me that proves everything happens for a reason.

“I had Robbo call me and show me the place and my heart was straight onto St Mirren. I was ready to come as soon as possible but had some VISA problems initially. But when I finally came I hit the ground running and the club gave me the platform to progress.

“I was pushed towards getting into the national team so it really has been a dream come true - I really couldn’t put it into any other words.”