THEY said goodbye, and now I’ll say hello.

This may be a poor attempt at a Beatles song reference, but for Danny Lennon, it is an opportunity to gain closure on the last chapter of his managerial career while proving there is much more to write in the current one.

Back in May 2014, the-then St Mirren manager found out his contract in Paisley would not be renewed after securing eighth position in the Scottish top flight.

While hearing he was out of work was a naturally distressing time for Lennon, he was irked at the decision coming two days after St Mirren’s final home game of the campaign, meaning the man that guided them to the League Cup the season before did not have a chance to acknowledge the Saints support.

Now in charge of Alloa Athletic, he will return to St Mirren Park for the first time with his new club who he hopes will be able to upset his old employers.

For Lennon, though, it will also be a poignant moment that has been a long time coming.

“I loved my time at St Mirren and had some great memories,” he said. “I had a fantastic relationship with so many fans and to this day I still get kind messages from cards and by email.

“It will certainly be strange going back and being in the away dressing room. It will be like visiting a long lost relative you’ve not seen in years. I’m thoroughly looking forward to it.

“My only regret from my time at St Mirren was that I never had the chance to say goodbye to the fans and thank them.

“It was after the end of the season last year that I was told by the board that they wanted to take the club in a direction. They must have known before the last game that it would have been my final match, and I wanted to say thanks to the fans.

“My philosophy always was that I was working for the supporters. They give so much of their time, emotions and money into the club and I spent so much time with the fans. I felt honoured to have brought them some success.

“This maybe is my chance to meet a few of them again, but my focus is putting an Alloa side out on the pitch that can get our club a positive result.”

It has been a poor start to the season for both clubs as the Championship table begins to take shape.

For Lennon’s Alloa, one win and a draw is all their plucky performances have offered up so far while their hosts are the same on wins, Ian Murray’s men sit two points further ahead thanks to an extra couple of stalemates.

It is a sign of how competitive the Scottish second tier is, and while Lennon believes St Mirren will eventually come good, he is aware his own team are more than capable of starting their own revival in Paisley tomorrow.

He said: “The league is very challenging and rightly so.

“It will take time. Ian has gone in to implement his own ideas and build a squad. That takes time. He is fortunate though that he has them on a daily basis, but it still a long process.

“I certainly believe they will head in the right direction when they begin to click. Realistically out with Rangers and Hibs, success for a lot of these clubs will be the play-offs.”

Lennon added: “The first goal is very important in this league, it’s important we get back to what we are all about.”