Toyosi Olusanya signs new St Mirren contract after positive reaction to stark warning

St Mirren forward Toyosi Olusanya has signed a new deal with the Paisley club, after a heart-to-heart conversation with Stephen Robinson sparked an improvement in his game.

Olusanya, whose existing contract was due to expire in the summer has signed on for another year with the Buddies and is targeting continued progress after impressing in recent weeks.

“I love it here with the boys, the manager and the fans together it feels like home,” he told the club’s official website.

“The manager told me he believes in me and what he wants me to continue doing. I feel like he has got so much out of me as a player and a person so I was really happy to sign the new deal and continue working under him.”

The 26-year-old scored a breakaway goal in the 2-0 win against Dundee in early February and came off the bench on Tuesday to fire in a leveller against Ross County and help his side to a 1-1 draw.

Robinson has rewarded Olusanya with a new deal and said he is happy to have secured the future of a player he believes can be a real asset. But the manager also revealed that he had sat with the player last summer to warn him that he needed to show an improvement or he risked dropping out of top flight football.

“He came to the club and got an injury as soon as he came,” Robinson explained. “He was out for a long time and then he went on loan to Arbroath.

“I think that was maybe a wake-up call that he needed.

“We put it to him straight about his work ethic and what we needed from him and he’s responded really, really well.

“We were straight with him and told him basically ‘You’ve got three months to be a professional footballer, otherwise you’re going to start drifting down the leagues again’.

“That was at the start of this season and he came back super-fit, with a really good attitude and realised that he needed to up his levels of intensity.”

Now, Robinson feels he has a player who poses a genuine threat when introduced from the bench and someone he hopes can quickly develop into a starting player who can cause opposition teams problems for 90 minutes.

“He’s a super kid, a lovely boy to have around the place as well,” the manage said.

“I wouldn’t fancy playing against him. He’s got electric pace and it’s about getting him to do that over a longer period of time.

“He’s certainly a big asset to us and one we’re delighted to sign.

“He’s only had a couple of years as a professional player because he had drifted out of football and into non-league. There’s a lot of improvement in him and he’s a boy who want to learn.

“He’s really knuckled down, worked hard and learned every day in training. It’s credit to the coaching staff that we’ve brought him on.

“He’s infectious and if you’re bringing him on then there’s a real threat to him. He’s improved massively. His game awareness has improved.

“Previously he was pure pace and about getting in behind but his hold-up play has improved and his understanding. He can play on the left of the front three as well as through the centre so he’s giving me options.”