St Mirren boss Oran Kearney keen for Simeon Jackson deal

St Mirren boss Oran Kearney is keen to tie up a deal for frontman Simeon Jackson and is also considering a move for former Nottingham Forest striker Lewis McGugan.

Former Blackburn and Norwich forward Jackson has been handed the chance to impress on trial and took advantage by scoring a hat-trick in a training-ground bounce game with Dundee United.

Now Kearney has confirmed he is looking to push through signing talks with the 31-year-old Canada international.

McGugan, 29, is also on the Buddies boss' radar after he was invited to train with Kearney's Paisley squad but it appears former Fiorentina-youth Cedric Gondo will not be joining the Saints squad.

Kearney - who has signed goalkeeper Dean Lyness on a deal until the new year - said: "We had three trialists in but one has gone back.

"However, Simeon Jackson at this point in time has done well and looked quite positive.

"He scored a hat-trick in a bounce game this week and we'd be keen to do something there.

"Lewis McGugan is going to be with us for a week or so, so we'll see how that goes.''

But Kearney admits he is already looking to trim his bloated squad.

The former Coleraine boss was brought in earlier this month to clean up the mess made by Alan Stubbs, whose disastrous summer recruitment work saw him sacked just four games into the Ladbrokes Premiership season.

And now the new Saints' manager has confessed he has too many players for his liking.

"It's a big squad we have,'' he said. "I think we're sitting around the 28, 29 or possibly even 30 mark. It's big and it's something we'll have to look at.

"We're still getting to know everybody and I suppose working out a good profile of the squad. It's a massive job and we know that. We have our targets for the season and they key thing now is we all knuckle down.

"The other key thing for me having only been in the job a couple of weeks was not to go in and make wholesale changes from day one based on being on the outside looking in.

"But we're getting the point now where we have a better understanding of the squad and it is something we're going to have to manage going forward. We've had a few bounce games the last few Tuesdays just to make sure I get a good look at the whole squad.

"I wouldn't say getting the squad size down to a more manageable level is the priority right now as at the end of the day, the players are contracted but it might depend on how players feel if they are out of the squad for three or four weeks at a time. Then it might become their choice.'

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