Baccus relishing attacking role at St Mirren
EXCLUSIVE: In a whirlwind two weeks Keanu Baccus has finished on the winning side against Celtic, scored in the defeat of Scottish Premiership rival Livingston and made his Socceroos debut.
On Saturday night (AEST) the ex-Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder plans to play his part in another potential boil-over - this time against Rangers at Ibrox.
Such is life these days for the soft-spoken St Mirren import who has won the instant adoration of followers of a club of modest means and cherished family values nestled in unfashionable Paisley on the fringes of Glasgow.
Baccus is one of 11 Aussies striding the stage in the land of kilts and bagpipes - and he’s one of those making the most noise.
“I’ve been welcomed here and I’ve been fortunate to make made a positive start in a team that’s been doing well,” Baccus said. “We’re not a big club compared to the likes of Celtic or Rangers but the manager (Stephen Robinson) has a different game plan for every match, and it’s been working well so far (with St Mirren sitting an impressive third on the ladder).
“There’s a great mindset at the club - we believe in ourselves and know we’re a good side.
“I’m learning a lot here and I believe we can make it very difficult for Rangers this weekend.
“I’m playing a tad higher than I did with Wanderers and getting in some good goal scoring positions. Hopefully there’s more to come.
“The Rangers game is a massive one - and we’ll do everything we need to be right. We know the atmosphere will be buzzing there and we’re taking momentum into the match.”
With two goals already and the confidence that comes with an impressive Socceroos debut of the bench six days ago, Baccus has put himself in a position to push for a World Cup come November, along with club mate Ryan Strain, another who made an impact as a substitute against the All Whites.
“We were both happy to get our chance with the Socceroos - you look at Ryan I think he’s in with a great shout (of going to the World Cup).
“I keep telling that everyday ‘keep your head down, keep working hard and you never know’.”
The same applies to Baccus, who racked up 10 minutes in Auckland to whet the appetite for more.
“It’s given me the driving force to keep doing well here and do all I can to get picked again,” he said. “I’m not trying to put too much pressure on myself - you can’t let expectation get too much because it might become a distraction and stop you performing at your best.
“We both need to just keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
