JAMIE LANGFIELD may be the football equivalent of a turkey who wants to vote for Christmas.

It is a mindset, however, that says much about the veteran goalkeeper’s professionalism and selfless nature that he is dedicating the next chapter of his career to nurturing the talent to replace him.

Langfield made the difficult decision to move from Aberdeen, the club he’d become synonymous with for 10 years, just a few days after his testimonial to come to St Mirren back in August.

The draw of returning to his hometown club undoubtedly was a factor for the Paisley boy, not to mention his desire to regain first-team football.

This was only part of a bigger picture for the former Dundee keeper that is now beginning to fully fall into place.

As well as a playing role, Langfield took up the role of goalie coach at the club, allowing him to pass on his experience to the next generation coming through the ranks.

“I’ll keep doing what I’m doing and try to make these boys better. Ultimately, the goal is that I want them to replace me,” he said.

“I’m loving it. Without blowing my own trumpet, the boys I’m working with are improving. Dan Wilks has come on leaps and bounds, Reece Willison is the same.

“Unfortunately, Mark Ridgers has left but he was doing really well, too. I try to put my own spin on things and it’s not all about me, I want them to have their own opinions. It’s certainly working and the guys seem to be enjoying it.”

Langfield may be one of the oldest in the St Mirren dressing room, but the coach within is cut from less than traditional cloth.

Flying tennis balls, cross catching in hurricane winds and drills inspired by YouTube videos, there is no limits to what he is prepared to throw at the young crop of keepers at his disposal.

It is a school of modern thinking that will surely stand the man with a Scotland B cap as his coaching career progresses.

“I use anything and try everything,” explained Langfield. “In training I bring out all sorts of apparatus. I know some goalkeeping coaches don’t like to but it’s a modern game now.

“You need to try things whether you pick it up on YouTube and things here and there, but you still go back to the old style 10 or 15 years ago as well.

"It’s all about a balance. Bringing in some new ideas certainly helps.

"You’ve got to look online. There’s somethings you think are way out there but why not try it?

“Sometimes we might have a wee fun day and just shell tennis balls at each other, that sort of thing. It’s all about reactions and trying to save a tennis ball is a lot harder than a football. Especially in this weather.

“In the last day or so when the weather has been bad we have talked about doing crossing because you might get a game on Saturday where the wind is that bad.

“It’s funny seeing the boys running about trying to catch the ball in a force 10 gale!

“It keeps things fresh. If the boys come to me and say the training is boring then I’d change it, but I also give them the chance to come to me and say what they want to do.”

For all the exercises and regime he plans out for Dan Wilks and Reece Willison at St Mirren’s Ralston training ground, Langfield is not content to stand back in the shelter barking orders.

In keeping with his ambition to squeeze every last bit of life out of a long and successful playing career, the young-at-heart elder statesman of the Saints is happy to prove he’s more than capable to mix it up with the best of them.

“I do everything the boys do, absolutely everything,” he said. “I’m as fit as I’ve ever been.

"I don’t like to blow my own trumpet but I’m probably fitter than a lot of the young lads here. I might have the body of a 36-year-old but I’ve got the mindset of an 18-year-old.

“I still enjoy training every day, even when the weather is like it has been. I’m still jumping about mental.

"Most people will probably think they want to just go to their bed in the cold weather, not for me. This is what it’s all about.

“I’ll keep myself as fit as I possibly can so I’m ready for Saturday’s game, but the most important thing is for me to produce goalkeepers that will come in and replace me and be deservedly ahead of me.”