ST Mirren new boy Tom Walsh insists the Buddies have a good enough squad to mount a promotion challenge this year.

The 20-year-old winger has signed on loan from Rangers until January, giving Saints boss Alex Rae an option on both flanks.

Rae has overseen a turnaround in Paisley since taking over from Ian Murray in December and Walsh is convinced the improvement can continue into this season’s Championship campaign.

Walsh has already trained with his new teammates and was impressed with the quality of the squad.

Walsh said: “St Mirren is a good club and I’m looking forward to getting some games under my belt.

“There’s a lot of good players in the squad, we have to look as high as we can in terms of promotion and see where it takes us.

“We need to look game by game but we’re good enough to look high.

“I think there is a good mix in the squad. There are a lot of good pros who have had good careers and that can only help the young boys, there is a good mix.”

Walsh spent the second half of last season on loan at Championship side Dumbarton. He is adamant that experience in Scotland’s second tier will help him flourish at Saints.

There are plenty of familiar faces to help Walsh get settled in with several former Rangers and Scotland youth teammates in Paisley.

While the winger admitted he didn’t have to think twice about the move after finding out about St Mirren’s interest.

He said: “I’ve played with Kyle Hutton, Calum Gallagher Scott Gallacher, Jack Baird and Lewis Morgan and I know some of the other guys from playing against them so it’s been easy to get settled in. I just found out one morning that I was going on loan and St Mirren were the team that was asking for me. It was a no brainer to move here.

“I hope my spell at Dumbarton can help me. It’s a good league, it’s a tough league because there is a lot of teams who are not too far apart standard wise.

“Every week is tough and you have to earn the right to play.

“But I think the squad is good enough to be right up there this season.”

Walsh made his debut off the bench in St Mirren's 1-0 win over Ayr United in the League Cup on Tuesday night.