Mark Wilson 'ready' for top flight shot as Partick Thistle bid to topple St Mirren

Mark Wilson believes earning promotion to the top flight with Partick Thistle would be “right up there” on his list of career achievements.

The Jags will host St Mirren at Firhill tonight in the Premiership play-off first leg, before the second leg in Paisley on Monday, as the Maryhill side bids to earn a place in the William Hill Premiership for the first time since 2018.

Thistle, who finished second to Championship winners St Johnstone this season, booked a spot in the play-off final after a 3-2 win over Dunfermline at the semi-final stage.

Thistle boss Wilson, who was appointed manager on a permanent basis in 2025, is aware of what’s at stake.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s Premiership play-off first leg, Wilson said: “I think for any young coach coming through, that has to be right up there at the top.

“You want to push yourself as far as you can go and manage at the highest level and in this country it is the Premiership. This season I’ve loved coming up against some outstanding managers with long careers.

“In the Championship alone, you think of the managers that we’ve come up against with loads of Premiership experience, some of them have lost their job throughout the year.

“But you look at guys like Neil Lennon and Simo Valakari, and then you’ve got guys like Barry Robson and Danny Lennon to Brendan Rodgers, when we played Celtic here in the cup and Stephen Robinson in the cup.

“I’ve loved every bit of that, trying to pit my wits against these guys who are hugely experienced, hugely successful and, of course, any young head coach, manager, whatever you might call him, wants to replicate that. You want success yourself.

“So it certainly pushed me to work as hard as I can and it’s another test going into this two-legged affair.

“There’s no physical silverware but a prize of getting to the Premiership.”

The former Celtic and Dundee United defender, who began his career in the dugout at Airdrie, says his apprenticeship has prepared him for a shot at the top flight.

He said: “I had my first job at Airdrie when I was 32 or 33, something like that. I found my way around the dressing room.

“Brechin, I spoke about it many a time, was as harsh an apprenticeship as you’ll ever get, managing a club in Covid which was just all over the place at the bottom end of the division.

“This was a slightly different opportunity where I got with Brian and had to manage our way through the play-offs last season.

“This was the first time I’ve had a pre-season at a club. At Airdrie and Brechin and even when I came here, I was dealing with somebody else’s transfer policy, someone else’s players.

“This was the first time that I started at a club day one pre-season, where I could roll out my ideas from day one. And it looks like it’s worked this far.

“I think the style and the product on the pitch has been eye-catching, the games have been exciting and I think we’ve got our rewards. So that would have to make me think that I’m ready for a shot at going up a level.

“All we need is two big performances now, the hardest two of the season right enough.”

The William Hill Premiership play-off first leg kicks off at Firhill tonight at 8pm, with the return leg kicking off at the same time on Monday.