St Mirren will be hoping new signing Collin Quaner can deliver the semi-final magic that made him a cult hero at Huddersfield.
The attacking player is in line for a debut against St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday after impressing manager Jim Goodwin with his fitness levels.
An appearance off the bench could put him in line for a similar role at Hampden the following weekend when the Paisley side take on Livingston in the Betfred Cup semi-final.
And Quaner could make himself an instant hero if he repeats his play-off exploits that helped Huddersfield earn Premier League status in 2017.
The German said: “We had a brilliant time at Huddersfield, we got promotion to the Premier League.
“The club is like a small family and the connection with the fans was brilliant and, in the time when fans were allowed in the stadium, the atmosphere was always great. Everyone could see the players were giving everything on the pitch. They appreciated the effort.
“I have always been grateful for playing for Huddersfield and the fans gave me a lot of love.
“In the semi-final when we played Sheffield Wednesday away we were 1-0 down and I came on in the last minute, forced an equaliser and we won the penalty shoot-out. That’s the situation all the Huddersfield fans remember the most.”
The 29-year-old vowed to bring a “positive energy” to his new team after keeping himself fit by training with Schalke since leaving Huddersfield last summer.
“I like playing physical, I like working hard, and I think that’s what every team needs,” he said.
“Physically I am feeling good. I was keeping fit in Germany in recent months.
“It was a bit of a challenge, it was exciting. I was back and forth between the UK and Germany because I still have my base in Leeds but I was lucky to be able to train with a team so that makes it easier for me to get straight back in it.”
