New St Mirren signing Matt Millar excited at prospect of following in grandparents’ footsteps by moving to Scotland.

New St Mirren signing Matt Millar admits he is excited at the prospect of following in his grandparents’ footsteps by moving to Scotland.

The Australian defender has joined the Buddies until the end of the season after his contract with A-League side Newcastle Jets expired.

The 25-year-old could make his debut for the Paisley outfit against Hibernian on Saturday, providing he receives international clearance in time.

The Melbourne-born right-back, who can also play in midfield, has spent the majority of his career in his homeland with spells at Melbourne City, South Melbourne and Central Coast Mariners.

Millar was nominated for an A-League ‘Young Player of the Year’ award during his first season with Newcastle Jets in 2019/20.

His first venture across the world came in October 2020 when he joined English League One side Shrewsbury Town on a short-term loan deal, scoring one goal in 13 appearances.

After penning his one-year contract, Millar said: “I know Scotland pretty well because my grandparents were born in Glasgow and my parents lived in Glasgow.

“I was really excited when St Mirren came in for me and I just want to hit the ground running.

“I’ve got a lot of pace and I like to get up and down the wing. I’m also a very competitive person so you’ll definitely see that.

“Hopefully I have a good week of training and can be in a position to have some impact this weekend.”

Saints manager Jim Goodwin was thrilled to bolster his squad after his move for Millar seemed unlikely to materialise over a month ago.

He admitted: “We’re delighted to get Matt in.

“I had spoken to his agent around six or seven weeks ago, but we thought he was going to go to an English team. That didn’t happen and the fact he was still available made it a really easy one.

“He’ll bring a bit of pace and power to the team. He’s a good type that’s played at a decent level and I’ve no doubt that he’ll fit in well with the group.”