Tom ready for first test

Pedal powering Par Tom Beadling hopes yellow jersey will be starting in a Pars away strip.

Tom Beadling is delighted to come through his first pre season since four years ago at Sunderland and he is ready and looking forward to the competitive football kicking off in the Betfred Cup.

With ten new signings, of whom only three are older than Tom’s 23 young years, there is a real excitement around East End Park and throughout the support. Tom confessed that to be one of the main reasons why the players can’t wait to get the season started.

“We really want to see what we are capable of. There is a good feeling in the camp and we want to see where we’re at when we go up against good teams. So, Sunday is a really good test in that regard, but one we’ll go into with no fear and playing to win.

“There are a lot of young, hungry boys in that dressing room - with some experienced heads mixed through - and I think it’s a great blend.

“The new boys have all settled in well in different ways . Nizzy [Kevin Nisbet] and Muzz [Euan Murray] are characters, two great lads, but they are all good lads and we have already fitted together really well.”

Fully aware of the new manager effect can have on a club, Tom thinks that a St Mirren team keen to make an impression, is a great game to have.

“Pre-season is done and this is the proper stuff. When a new manager comes in, you are eager to impress and people are fighting for their places. I’m sure St Mirren will have that in their minds but we aren’t worried about them - it’s about what we can do and what we bring to the table.”

For Tom and his team mates the end to pre season is a welcome relief:-

“If you ask any player, they’ll tell you they just want the competitive games to come as quickly as possible and get into the thick of it.

“But I’ve really enjoyed this pre-season, actually. We’ve got a lot of new boys and it’s been great getting to know them and starting to gel as a team.

“It’s strange - not many players enjoy pre-season! It’s been really tough but, at the same time, if you are working hard and really feeling the benefits and getting something from it, that’s all you can ask for.”

There is no doubt that players know exactly where they are with Stevie Crawford. Tom did not see that a problem:-

“There are good lads in that dressing room so that other side of him doesn’t need to come out too often. However, he has that no-nonsense side when he needs it and keeps the lads on the straight and narrow.”

After only being fit for only 22 appearances last season, Tom has been working conscientiously to be more than ready for the season ahead. His regime has included a little bit of everything. Running on beaches, doing laps of the running track back home, lots of gym work and a lot of time on bikes!

His cycling was no crime and no drama even though it did entail the streets of San Francisco. He told the story of his summer break:-

“I went to California with a few of my mates and we always had the bikes out in San Francisco, just to mix it up a little bit, make it enjoyable - but still put the work in. They didn’t mind too much, thankfully.

“It was a better workout than I expected - we didn’t know just how hilly San Francisco was until we arrived and started exploring. It was like climbing mountains! But it was an amazing place and ended up being like a mini pre-season for two weeks with all the cycling.”

So set up to complete his first pre-season since he was a teenager at Sunderland, Tom feels that he has overcome what has been a major stumbling block for him:-

“If you get a good pre-season then you are halfway to having a good campaign - it is so important to stand you in good stead for the season.

“Missing pre-season, or even a part of it, means you are always playing catch-up throughout the year. Then you have the stop-start of injuries coming back and it is so easy to pick up other little niggles because you are pushing to make up for lost time. It is the most frustrating thing because you can’t get that momentum and stability which brings the best out of players.

“I feel positive and feel like this is a really big season in my career. My aim was to really come back strong. I did a lot of work over the summer to make sure I would hit the ground running and the training wouldn’t be a shock to the system. I grafted over the break and, touch wood, it has paid off.”

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