Jim Goodwin believes St Mirren would be lucky to get Jack Ross as their new manager.

The Alloa midfielder knows plenty about what's expected with the Buddies after spending five largely successful years there before leaving in the summer.

And he's learning more and more about his new manager Ross after dropping down to Ladbrokes League One to help the Wasps bounce straight back up after relegation from the Championship last season.

So he's the ideal man to speak about the highly-rated Ross' suitability for the vacant role in Paisley.

Alex Rae was sacked earlier this week after failing to win any of his side's opening six games of the league campaign.

While Billy Davies appears to be leading the way, Ross is also among those to have been linked with the job given he's a former St Mirren player and is earning rave reviews as Alloa manager.

Ross has led Goodwin and his team-mates to 12 wins from their first 14 games of the season and currently sit top of League One.

And while the Irish midfielder desperately wants the manager to stick around to finish what he's started, he believes St Mirren would be getting a top manager if they decided to make Ross their man.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Ladbrokes News, Goodwin said: "It doesn't surprise me that Jack is being linked with the job.

"Every job that becomes available between now and the end of the season I'm sure he'll be at the top of the chairman's shortlist.

"I know they'd take to him and would love the way he works. I would have no doubt that he'd have an instant impact.

"But I hope he stays with us. I don't think our chairman is in a hurry to see the back of him, likewise the players and the fans. 

"We hope he carries on the good work he's doing at Alloa and if he wants to move on in the summer and see what options are out there for him then he'll have earned that right.

"But if St Mirren were to get him then they'd be extremely lucky in my eyes."

But what is it about Ross that makes him so highly rated?

Goodwin believes it's his man management and determination to do new things that makes him stand out.

The Alloa midfielder added: "I've been really impressed with Jack.

"He's got great experience, played at a decent level, but the big thing for me is his man management and coaching.

"A lot of young coaches and managers tend to just recycle training sessions and come out with the same cliches that they've heard from managers they've worked with down the years.

"I've always said that if I ever got the chance to be a coach or manager, it's something I wouldn't do - it's nice to freshen things up with new ideas and do more research rather than take the easy way out and recycle things.

"So that's one thing that Jack does really, really well to put on training sessions that the lads haven't done before.

"Doing something new and different stimulates the boys' brains - that boredom doesn't set in that it's something you've done for the last 10 years or whatever.

"His attention to detail for training sessions and matches with the limited time he has with the players is fantastic.

"He's a genuine good guy and the biggest compliment you could give to a manager is, when guys who aren't even in the starting XI are saying he's good then you know he's good.

"I've been there myself, when you're not in the team you think the manager is this, that and everything else because he doesn't fancy you as a player.

"But I've not heard anyone in the dressing room, or outwith the club for that matter, who's said a bad word about him.

"He's doing fantastic things with us at Alloa. I hope he stays here for the remainder of the season and manages us to go and win the league, which is our main goal.

"And whatever reward he gets in the summer, if he moves on to bigger and better things, then we wish him well.

"But hopefully he sticks with us for the timebeing and it would be great for him as a young manager to get a league title on his CV and that could open up all kinds of doors no doubt too."