IT was the call every St Mirren fan had been dreading. Chairman Gordon Scott had Ipswich Town on the other end of the line, requesting permission to speak to Jack Ross, the man who transformed the Paisley side from the cusp of dropping to Scotland’s third tier to an imperious Championship title.

Okay so fielding such calls is becoming a rather regular occurrence for the St Mirren hierarchy. After intrigue over the chance to join Dundee prior to the permanent confirmation of Neil McCann last summer, the club were rewarded for the mature way they dealt with a similar approach from Barnsley back in February when the 41-year-old decided to stay put to get St Mirren over the Championship finishing line.

But beating Brendan Rodgers to the PFA Scotland manager of the year award was another feather in the cap. And the chance to succeed Mick McCarthy at one of the more storied English club sides could well be a different proposition altogether.

At least the Barnsley example proves that Ross doesn’t feel the need to jump for the first opening going. He as a young family to think of too and there has been brave talk of extensive squad refurbishments in Paisley this summer and pushing on for a top six place.

As reluctant as he may be to countenance life away from St Mirren Park, however, Lee Mair concedes that as soon as the right club comes in, his former St Mirren team-mate will be away.

Whether Ipswich are that club remains to be seen, but the 41-year-old is set to travel down south next week to hear what they have to say. The likes of former Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood and Shrewsbury’s Paul Hurst have also been linked with the post, but should his interview prove successful it is hard not to see the attraction at a club which finished 12th in the Championship last season.

The Tractor Boys have a rich history when it comes to Scottish players and managers, with four of their 1961/62 title-winning squad hailing from north of the border and the likes of George Burley, John Wark and Alan Brazil gracing Portman Road in the ‘70s early ‘80s. Of the club’s 15 permanent managers, a list which includes Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson, three of them – Scott Duncan, John Duncan and Burley – have been Scottish.

“It is a difficult one,” said Mair, speaking at the Back Onside celebrity golf day in support of mental health in Scotland. “If the right club comes, I think he will be away. Jack is like everyone else, he is an ambitious guy, St Mirren is not where he wants to end up.

“He is not looking to get away but eventually he will. Because as a manager, just as he was as a player, he is ambitious to get to the very top.

“I know he was very well linked with the Aberdeen job when it looked like Derek McInnes was leaving so personally I think it is only a matter of time before a big club comes chapping on his door and then he has a decision to make. I don’t think he is in a rush to leave, but I think deep down he will be thinking ‘where am I going next?’

“I am not surprised that he never left for Dundee, but I was surprised that he didn’t go for the Barnsley one. Everyone thinks ‘let’s get down to England’, because the money is life-changing. It shows that Jack isn’t all about that. It is all about building his CV which he has done really well. It shows as well that he has got confidence in his own ability. A lot of people would say when the first offer comes you have to jump on it. He says he will wait till the time is right and fair play to him. And on the back of that he could get a bigger club than Barnsley.”

While Tony Fitzpatrick outlined the ambition at the Paisley side by claiming they could target the top four, not just the top six, Scotland’s bigger club sides have raised their game this season and St Mirren’s first priority must be ensuring survival.

“I was looking at the league table last night and thinking from St Mirren’s point of view, who do they want to stay up?” he said. “With Hamilton staying up, they will have to try to take something off them. This year’s top six is very difficult– you have Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen, Motherwell have kicked on very strong this year with two cup finals, Kilmarnock are at a totally different level. St Johnstone will kick on again so there is not much left. First and foremost they must stay in the league.” That will certainly be the case should Ross decide now if the time to seek a fresh challenge.