ST MIRREN player-coach Gary Teale hopes he can lend a helping hand to Adam Drury the way Davie Cooper did with him.

Coop was coming to the end of a fine career at Clydebank as Teale started out, and the Saints wideman still recalls learning from the one-time Clydebank, Motherwell, Rangers and Scotland ace.

Teale, now 36, is coming to the end of his own playing days, and is now one of Tommy Craig's assistants. He has worked with Manchester City loanee Drury, currently filling Teale's berth on the right wing, and hopes his advice will help the 21-year-old as he takes the first steps in his career.

Teale said: "I've had a decent career and now I've got a duty to go and help these young boys coming through. With Adam, he's come from youth team football at Man City, then maybe 10 games or so at Burton Albion.

"Now he's playing week in, week out. He's done fine, scored a few goals and making a few runs to that back-post area. He's a good lad and I've been impressed with him. He works hard and does the right things.

"All I have been saying to him when he gets into that final third is to be positive. You don't mind if he makes mistakes. It's not a philosophy lesson here, you're trying to give these lads the freedom to express themselves. Sometimes coaches are frustrated players and you are trying to play the game for them. Sometimes the players need to go and make their own decisions."

Teale, who could return against Dundee United today, fondly recalls training with senior pros such as Cooper and Ken Eadie at Clydebank.

He added: "The biggest thing they would say is: 'Just work hard.' Believe in yourself and have a thick skin to take all the flak that comes your way. You won't get anywhere if you do not work hard and listen to the older boys who have been there and done it.

"There are not many who could live up to what Davie Cooper could do with a ball and he came in at the tail-end, but unfortunately we lost him. It would have been great if I could have spent more time with him at that point in my career."