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Gers duo contracts that should top Wilson’s list

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Right then Mr Wilson, we appreciate that you will be busy eyeing potential signings when the January transfer window opens, however, there are a couple of matters closer to home that need to be sorted first of all.

Without Leon Balogun and Jon McLaughlin available over the last couple of seasons, it’s questionable as to whether or not we would have enjoyed the same level of success and both elder statesmen need to be offered new contracts as a matter of urgency.

The pair might not be immediate first picks but the quality that they bring when they are called upon fully justifies the decision to sign two players who appeared to be little more than cover when they first arrived – it always annoy me seeing fans talk about the first XI not being strengthened and yet, without them, we would be struggling.

Balogun – who the club have an option to automatically extend – has found his form after a shaky start to the season, his aggression, pace and ability to carry the ball out of defence proving useful in recent weeks, he will be 34 – and our oldest centre-half – at the start of next season but he is still our quickest, which speaks volumes about how he has looked after himself.

For McLaughlin, he has to be offered a long-term deal, as we’ve seen with Allan McGregor, 34 is no age for a keeper nowadays plus he has never suffered from the same injuries as his older team-mate.

Despite starting the season as number two, it wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up as first choice given how consistent he has been – he might not be as good a shot stopper as McGregor but everything else he does is as good, if not better, especially his distribution and his command of his box.

If you are good enough, it doesn’t matter how old you are and the Gers duo should be here for the foreseeable future despite being in their mid-thirties, the risk of finding replacements who can replicate their standards is just too high.

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