St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin has provided an update on the future of Jake Doyle-Hayes at the club. The 22-year-old former Aston Villa talent joined the Paisley side on a short-term deal in November.
The player’s contract expires at the end of the season, and Goodwin has disclosed that although discussions with his agent have taken place about a new deal, as yet there has been no agreement.
“Made a contract offer”
“It’s a bit of a long, drawn out process at the moment. We made a contract offer to Jake maybe eight weeks ago now. But his agent is well within his rights to do what he’s doing. He’s trying to test the market no doubt, and see what else is out there” Goodwin began.
Jake Doyle-Hayes in action for St Mirren (Photo by Roddy Scott/SNS Group via Getty Images)
“But I’ve had great conversations with Jake. We’ve spoken about how well he’s done, why we think he’s doing so well. We believe he’s playing in a team that plays to his strengths.
“He’s settled in”
“I think we gave Jake an opportunity in the summer, when nobody else did. So, I think Jake’s enjoying it. He appreciates how we try to do things here. He’s settled in very easily, so I think the player is desperate to stay. We’re not a million miles away I don’t think, I would really like to get it sorted by the next couple of weeks” Goodwin revealed.
Jake Doyle-Hayes will be out of contract at the end of the season (Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Doyle-Hayes has featured regularly for St Mirren since joining the club. He has made 14 appearances in all competitions, and played a key role in the run to the Betfred Cup semi-final, but missed the defeat to Livingston due to injury.