Season 2023-24

Similar to the previous season when Saints achieved their first top six finish in 38 years, the start of 2023/24 saw squad stability with only seven players leaving. Most notable were captain Joe Shaughnessy, full back Richard Tait and Forward Curtis Main. Just before the season started, keeper Trevor Carson signed for Dundee.

Incoming players were defender James Bolton, Motherwell forward Mikael Mandron and Northern Irish winger Connor McMenamin. The loan market was used to bring in Middlesborough keeper Zach Hemming, Israeli forward Stav Nahmani and brought a return for Thierry Small who had spent the final four months of the previous season on loan from Southampton.

The League cup looked to be starting in similar fashion with a 1-0 defeat at Montrose, but three straight wins over Forfar, Cowdenbeath and Arbroath saw Saints top the group. After defeating Motherwell 1-0 in round two the journey ended with a quarter final defeat at Hibernian.

The league campaign started with six wins and four draws in the opening 13 games saw them sit comfortably in third place. The season continued in this form and Saints never dropped out of the top six.

Throughout the season Saints played an entertaining style of football and gained many plaudits in the media. A 3-1 win at 6th place Dundee at the start of May moved Saints five points clear of the Dens Park club with just two games left and virtually secured fifth place and a return to European competition for the first time in 37 years. This was confirmed when Dundee lost to Rangers in their penultimate match meaning that Saints were indeed Europe bound.

Again, several players gained international recognition with Australians Ryan Strain and Keanu Baccus, Cypriot defender Alex Gogic and Kiwi forward Alex Greive all adding to their cap counts. Alongside them we saw three new internationalists with Connor McMenamin called up for Northern Ireland, Jonah Ayunga capped for Kenya and January signing Elvis Bwomono starring for Uganda. Caolin Boyd-Munce was included in several Northern Ireland squads but failed to gain a cap.

Towards the end of the season manager Stephen Robinson began to build for the following season with the majority of the out of contract players signing extended deals.