ST MIRREN Chief Executive Tony Fitzpatrick insists the club will go all out to keep the squad which kept Saints in the Championship against the odds.

Fitzpatrick and Saints manager Jack Ross have been locked in talks with agents and players since the season ended as they look the shape the Buddies squad for next season.

The club announced last week that Andy Webster, Jordan Stewart and Ben Gordon would leave after their contracts expired, while Stevie Mallan is expected to complete a move to Barnsley.

Defenders Adam Eckersley and Jack Baird signed two and one year contracts respectively to stay in Paisley and Jamie Langfield signed a one-year extension.

Rocco Quinn, John Sutton, Gary Irvine, Lewis Morgan, Kyle Magennis and Stephen McGinn are all contracted next season.

Rory Loy’s loan has expired and he still has one year left on his Dundee contract, his future won’t be decided until the Dens Park club make a decision on their manager with Neil McCann in temporary charge.

Cammy Smith is out of contract at Aberdeen but the Dons have the first option to offer him a renewal as he came through their youth set up. St Mirren will have to wait for that outcome before making any move for Smith.

Stelios and Josh Todd have options for another year in Paisley, but it is understood those options lie with both the players and the clubs, but Saints will do their best to keep both.

Harry Davis impressed in his short time at St Mirren before sustaining a serious knee injury. He is a free agent after he was released by Crewe, Gazette Sport understands Saints will try and sign Davis again despite his injury keeping him out until August, but expect to face stiff opposition for his signature.

After manager Jack Ross reinvigorated the Saints squad in the January transfer window, with 10 players leaving and 10 arriving, Fitzpatrick insists the club will once again back the manager as he looks to keep the nucleus of the squad that impressed during the run in together.

He said: “Jack is a very detailed guy, he won’t just be going out to spend, he’s not that type. I don’t think there is much wrong with that team, Jack will decide what tinker with but it is not as if we need to bring in 10 players again.

“He is identifying players and is looking to resign players. Now he has a full summer to plan it is great for him.

“The ones Jack wants to get back is the ones that he’s brought in and have done so well.”

Fitzpatrick is still beaming over the club’s last-day survival at Easter Road. The St Mirren legend has seen it all during his 14 years playing at the club, two stints as manager and his current role as Chief Executive.

But all that experience didn’t stop him from misreading referee Alan Muir’s movement towards the ball in the dying stages at Easter Road. As he went to pick the ball up and blow the final whistle which would signal Saints survival, Fitzpatrick mistakenly thought the official was helping Hibs to take a quick goal kick.

He explained: “I misread it if I’m being honest. When he ran for the ball I just wasn’t thinking, I was saying ‘look at the referee, he’s trying to get them the ball back’, I was thinking stupid things. When the whistle went it was fantastic, that was a lifetime of emotions that last 15 minutes. The last few months has been an incredible journey.”