Why St Mirren extended Harambee striker's contract despite his career-threatening injury

Scottish side St Mirren have explained why they decided to hand Harambee Stars striker Jonah Ayunga a new one-year contract despite the forward being sidelined with a long-term ACL injury.

The Scottish Premiership club announced that the 29-year-old has signed a deal until the summer of 2027, with an option to extend his stay by a further year.

Ayunga's previous campaign was cut short after he suffered an ACL injury during St Mirren's league match against Livingston in April, with the Kenyan international expected to return to action around the New Year.

Despite the setback, manager Craig McLeish said the club felt it was important to reward Ayunga for his commitment and ensure he had security while recovering.

"We wanted to look after him. It was the right thing for the club to do- to look after him throughout his period of rehab," McLeish said.

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The manager also pointed to Ayunga's impact since joining the club in 2022, particularly his match-winning display in the Premier Sports Cup final, where he scored twice to help St Mirren defeat Celtic.

"He has been a fantastic servant. He goes down as a hero in the club's history books because of what he did in the cup final, and he deserves to be looked after," McLeish added.

McLeish is confident Ayunga will return stronger once he completes his rehabilitation, describing his comeback as one that could "feel like a new signing" for the club.

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"We know we've got a really strong and experienced player coming back. It was important for us to look after Jonah and his family and give them some security while he works through his rehab," he said.

Ayunga has been with St Mirren since June 2022 and made 32 appearances last season before his injury brought his campaign to a premature end.