St Mirren have signed “old-fashioned winger” Ilkay Durmus on a two-year deal from Austrian side Wacker Innsbruck. The German-born former Turkey youth international played in both his native and ancestral land before moving to Austria. Manager Jim Goodwin feels the 25-year-old will provide an “abundance” of sorely-needed pace. Goodwin added on his club’s website: “He is a very attack-minded, old-fashioned winger and players like that excite me and I think he’ll excite supporters as well. “He’s direct, he’s positive, he puts a great ball in so he’s one to be very excited about. “He’s a couple of weeks behind with regards to pre-season training but we’ll get him up to speed and I think he’s one that the fans will certainly get off their seats to watch.” The wide player is St Mirren’s fourth summer signing after 12 players departed from the squad that finished last season, and Goodwin has stressed how hard chief executive Tony Fitzpatrick and technical director Gus MacPherson are working to strengthen. Goodwin, who has lost striker Cody Cooke to a knee problem for about two months, added: “I’ve given them a long list and a list of players that may be sometimes is a little ambitious. But at the end of the day I want to bring in good players and I want to bring in players that will excite the fans and I want to make us more than competitive. “We’re doing all we can and we are making some very good offers to some very good players. I think the players we have already added have enhanced the group and I think the ones that we have identified will make us better again.” St Mirren captain Stephen McGinn earlier backed Goodwin’s patient approach. “There’s no real panic in our place,” said McGinn ahead of Saturday’s Ladbrokes Premiership opener at Hibernian. “We know we are moving in the right direction. We know the manager could go out and bring in players just to make up the numbers but that’s not what he wants. He wants to build a standard and move the club forward. “We are bang on board with everything he has done since he came in. We know he will bring in additions to help us out and maybe turn some of those frustrating goalless performances into wins. “We appreciate how hard they are working to bring the right players in, to make us better and hopefully avoid the scenario we were in last year with the high turnover in January. “I have been at clubs before when there is the panic. I have been at clubs where they bring in players for the sake of it, bring in a left-sided player because he is available but might not make us better as a team. “You want to get to the point where we have a steady team.” Topics Scottish Premiership, St Mirren Solskjaer homecoming win soured by surgery setback for Bailly Hibs winger Boyle needs more knee surgery Lennon salutes solid display as Celtic progress in Champions League qualifying Celtic beat Nomme Kalju to set up Champions League qualifying clash with Cluj Harry Kane effort enough as Tottenham edge Real Madrid in Audi Cup Fantasy football team names: 49 excellent (and awful) ideas for yours this season 9 things we think will happen in the 2019/20 Premier League season Juventus prepared to offer £10m plus these two players for Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku 5 centre-backs Arsenal could target to replace Laurent Koscielny Monday’s big transfer rumours: Juventus star keen to join Paul Pogba at Manchester United
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