STEVEN THOMPSON has declared himself fit and ready to lead St Mirren’s Ladbrokes Championship challenge this season.

The veteran striker turns 37 in October and missed most of last year’s campaign – when Saints were relegated from the Premiership – due to injury, managing just four goals.

New manager Ian Murray still hopes to strengthen his options in attack – he has been linked with a loan move for Aberdeen’s Lawrence Shankland – but for the time being, Thommo remains his only out-and-out striker.

The former Rangers man, though, is happy to shoulder that responsibility until the cavalry arrives, and already has his first goal for the season, netting a penalty in Saturday’s Petrofac Cup win over Berwick Rangers.

Saints conclude their pre-season campaign away to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday before they meet Rangers a week on Friday in their opening league game at Ibrox, and Thompson is bursting to get going.

He told SportTimes: “I’m feeling really good and just looking forward to the season getting underway. We could probably do with adding one or two more faces to the squad as we’re quite young and the manager is actively looking to do that just to beef it up a little.

"But I’m more than happy to take the pressure of being the lone striker in games. I love that. If the manager wants to play me then I’m ready and eager to be involved. In fact, I can’t wait to get going, especially after the disappointment of last year both as a team and personally.”

Last season was a fairly disastrous one for St Mirren as their nine-year stay in the top flight was ended with barely a whimper.

The appointment of Murray, though, and some new signings, have helped lighten the mood already and it hasn’t gone unnoticed among the playing squad.

Thompson added: “I’m already sensing a lot more optimism about the place. You can sense it from the stands as well. You can feel a positivity coming from the supporters and that’s important as a player.

"That transcends on to the pitch more than a supporter would ever realise. At this stage, it’s nice to be playing in front of the fans again.

“As a team we’re in really good shape. Saturday against Berwick was probably the best we’ve passed the ball for a long time, certainly for a season or so.

"We moved the ball extremely well, which is probably a lot down to personnel. We’ve a lot of work to do yet, but I’m sure we’ll step it up over the next week or so.”

Next Friday’s league opener against Rangers is already in the back of the St Mirren players’ minds, the Ibrox side's 6-2 win over Hibs on Saturday underlining the enormity of Saints’ task.

Thompson, who played at the Glasgow club between 2003 and 2006, acknowledged as much. He added: “Ibrox is an extremely difficult place to go at the best of times and I think they have signed well this summer. The players they have brought in from Wigan are of a higher standard than the Scottish Championship.

"Rangers will be a very difficult match for us, but like any time you go to Parkhead or Ibrox, you’ve got to go with a bit of hope, try to contain them and maybe create a bit ourselves.”