There was a sheepish look about Findlay Curtis as his team-mates shoved him in front of the Kilmarnock supporters belting out his name at full-time on Saturday afternoon.
It didn’t take him long, of course, to warm up to the idea. He has certainly earned the right to enjoy himself a little.
It would have been easy enough for him to turn his nose up at the prospect of joining Kilmarnock on loan back in January. After all, this is a guy who was scoring against Panathinaikos in Champions League qualifiers and notching an assist against Porto in the Europa League not too long ago.
Most people, understandably, would view a switch to Rugby Park as a step down. It says a lot about the 19-year-old’s character that he didn’t share the same perspective.
At this stage of his career, getting minutes is really all that matters. And Killie has been the perfect fit.
His performances throughout this relegation fight — one his side have all but come through following this 3-0 battering of St Mirren — have been outstanding. It’s little wonder the fans have taken him to their hearts so quickly.
Findlay Curtis has been a man in form over recent weeks and looks a good bet for Scotland
He started the day against the Buddies on the right-hand side, and was involved in the build-up to the calamitous Miguel Freckleton own goal which opened the scoring.
His two finishes on the opposite flank after the break were devastating. Both were almost identical in nature, opening his body up from a tight angle before finding the bottom corner.
It was the same story against Dundee United the previous week. It’s just muscle memory at this point.
Curtis is the kind of player who gets fans off their seats. Every time he picked up possession on Saturday, you sensed something might happen.
His defensive output is something to be admired too. Yes, he can do the flashy stuff, but that willingness to roll the sleeves up and carry out the ugly side of the game is every bit as impressive.
Book him a seat on the plane to the World Cup right now, Mr Clarke. He’s simply got to go.
This Scotland squad have many attributes, but directness on the flanks ain’t one of them. In fact, aside from Ben Gannon-Doak, who else is there?
Look, no one is saying Curtis should be a starter. That’s fine. But there’s no question he can make an impact and is going into the summer on top form. Confidence isn’t going to be a problem.
A chunk of the credit for his improvement must go to Neil McCann, of course.
Needless to say, the reaction to his appointment back in January went down like a lead balloon amongst the Rugby Park fanbase. But any doubters have been made to look a bit daft now. He has reinvigorated the place, and the results have followed.
When he came in, Killie occupied the relegation play-off spot, six points behind St Mirren in 10th. With two games remaining, they are four in front. It’s been quite the turnaround.
Curtis fires his second of the afternoon to put Killie 3-0 ahead against struggling St Mirren
‘He’s a man that’s always wanting to win,’ said Curtis. ‘He’s helped me so much in my career so far. Even when I was at Rangers, he’s helped me in one-on-one sessions and he’s been probably the closest I’ve worked with. Credit to him for bringing me down here.
‘Obviously, when he was playing, he was in the same position as me. At Rangers, we worked on different types of finishes, crossing variations, my work rate. I think that’s the biggest one. If you’re playing and you’re starting, the main thing is you need to work hard. I’m that guy. I think if I work hard, the rest will fall into place.’
St Mirren’s players would do well to take note.
Their display on Saturday was shocking. Finding the net has been their Achilles heel all season — they’ve drawn a blank in their last four — but that wasn’t even the biggest issue against Killie.
You can forgive missing chances, but lacking desire? That’s unacceptable.
Perform like that in the play-off — if indeed that is where they end up — and it will be Championship football at the SMiSA next season.
