THE name of Alan Stubbs may not quite have the same Galactico stardust dripping from it as Real Madrid legend Guti, but there is no doubt in the minds of the St Mirren board, or in that of the man himself, that they have made the right choice by plumping for the former Hibernian boss as their new manager.

As accomplished a defender as the ex-Celtic captain undoubtedly was, you might have backed Guti to come out on top of a one-v-one situation between the pair in their playing days, but when they faced off for the vacant job at the Buddies, Stubbs had faith that substance would win out over glamour when it came to impressing the likes of Gordon Scott and Tony Fitzpatrick. And so it proved.

“Guti, Alan Stubbs, it doesn’t really go together,” laughed Stubbs. “From what I gathered, he did put his name in.

“When I looked at it, I felt it was a bit strange that he was in the running in the betting for the St Mirren job and he was favourite for the Real Madrid job. I didn’t know what to believe to be honest.

“It’s got nothing to do with me. Sometimes you do see a lot of names who are in the running or have been put in through a third party or whatever it is.

“I wasn’t really interested. Once I knew I had an interview, you have to back yourself no matter who is there that you are the one who is going to impress them and make you give them the job.”

And there is no doubt that St Mirren have still landed a big name in Stubbs, who adds further weight to the notion that occupying a dugout in the Scottish Premiership is becoming an increasingly attractive proposition.

“The profile of the league is only going in one direction, and that’s up,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s just the fact that Steven Gerrard has come in this summer, I think Brendan [Rodgers] coming in initially was the catalyst for it. You see Steve Clarke come, and then Steven has now chosen to dip his toes in the water at a massive club.

“Suddenly, you look at Sky and the other broadcasters and there seems to be more airtime for Scottish football now, which is great and can only help generate more money in terms of sponsorship.

“It certainly seems as if there is a real feel-good factor around the whole Scottish game at the moment.

“[The] Premiership [is] probably the strongest it’s been for a number of years.”

It wasn’t only the burgeoning allure of the Scottish game that attracted Stubbs back to a country where he enjoyed success as a player with Celtic and as a manager at Hibs. He had turned down jobs elsewhere since leaving Rotherham back in the autumn of 2016 as he waited for the right club to come along, so what was it that set St Mirren apart?

“Probably the structure of the club, the people involved,” Stubbs said. “It’s obviously a well-run club and I got a good feeling when I had the initial meeting with all the people on the board, they just came across as good people.

“I learnt from my time at Hibs, working with good people and it just makes you appreciate how that can help you when you’re in the job.

“I got a good vibe from it. Walking out I could see myself working within that structure. They seemed very honest people, which is also very important.

“So, it ticked boxes.”

Stubbs is pleased to be joining a club that is very much on the rise following the tenure of Jack Ross, rather than the shambles that greeted him at Rotherham, and the prospect of following such a tough act isn’t one that fazes the amiable Scouser.

There may be revolution to come in terms of the playing staff, but it seems as though it will be evolution in terms of the style of play as he looks to build on the swashbuckling principles of his predecessor.

Aiming to avoid relegation by hook or by crook is a notion that hasn’t even entered Stubbs’s mind.

“I wouldn’t have come here to just finish 10th,” he said.

“The first bit will be to get to a points tally where we will be safe, then we can take it from there.

“It’s not in my vocabulary to say that we just want to stay up. I think it’s wrong, and it’s wrong for the fans as well to talk like that.

“We want to be exciting. Where that’s going to take us, I don’t know, but I’ll be looking to bring in some exciting players if I can and really build on the work that Jack has done here. He’s done a really good job, but I’m looking to improve on it.

“Obviously they had a really good experience last season coming up and it’s important to carry on that feel good factor.

“It’s an exciting time. They are coming up on the back of a promotion and we’re looking to try to keep taking the club forward. Speaking to the board they are ambitious, which is important.

“It’s not just about staying up, it’s about looking up rather than looking behind.”