Jude Bellingham provides St Mirren inspiration for Caolan Boyd-Munce as Birmingham pal's rise proves pro call correct
The midfielder is looking to go from stride to stride in Paisley after a full pre-season.
Caolan Boyd-Munce will use the success of his old team-mate and Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham as his inspiration to raise the bar with St Mirren.
The 23-year-old Irishman shared a dressing room with the England star during their time at Birmingham City. Only for fate to play a hand in the diverging fortunes for the pair’s careers. As Bellingham became one of the most talked-about players in world football, Boyd-Munce was in danger of drifting out of the game. He even considered pursuing a career as a lawyer. It’s been a torrid few years for the Belfast-born midfielder but he insists he’s found his happy place in Paisley.
And he will use his old pal’s meteoric progress as proof he’s made the right call to remain in professional football. He said: “I played with Jude and we both made our debuts at Birmingham on the same day. I find it inspiring to watch him come through. I replaced him on my Championship debut and we were good mates. It’s his character that sets him apart. His family played a massive part in that. I moved there when I was 16-year-old and he was three years younger than me.
“He would have been around us constantly, every day. No matter what was put in front of him, it didn’t phase him. He wasn’t quiet about it, if there was something he didn’t agree with then he would have said it.
“The older he got, the more mature he got and when he speaks in front of the camera people must think he’s really well trained – but it’s just him. He knows what to say and how and when to say it.
“His mum and dad are the same and they’ve kept him well grounded. He was just a phenomenal footballer. The things he tried as a kid, you wouldn’t even think of doing it.
“When he was 15, the senior lads said he was going to be the main boy for us this year. The only way to describe him is ‘special’ and I used to say to my friends that he was going to be as good as Steve Gerrard. They would argue with me and ask how that could be at that level? Now they’ve seen him at the World Cup, they now say ‘he’s special.”
Boyd-Munce joined St Mirren in March after injuries left him struggling to make an impact at Birmingham, then at Middlesbrough. He only made three appearances for the Buddies last season, including a memorable first start on the final day of the campaign against Rangers.
The former Northern Ireland Under-21 international revealed it’s a move that has reignited his love for the game. He said: “I knew what I was coming here to do as I had spent a year out of football, doing nothing.
“I was surprised at first how high the intensity was at Premiership level. My first game was against Dundee United and in the first five minutes I thought: ‘Wow.’
“It was so quick that it was just about getting up to speed for the first couple of months. I also didn’t really expect to play in the Rangers game as I wasn’t really fit.
“The manager just said: ‘Let’s go, let’s get you into it’. I came back for pre-season flying and it’s about taking off from there now.
“This is the first time I’ve enjoyed football in three years. I said after the Cowdenbeath game, which was a shocking game (a 1-0 League Cup win) that I actually enjoyed it.
“Even though I barely touched the ball, I had that buzz because we had won. The game was shocking but I enjoyed it.”
Boyd-Munce also revealed he’s using his spare time to continue his law studies to give himself a back-up plan. He believes his academic interests have allowed him to refrain from quitting football during his darkest days.
He said: “There were times when I was down. Mentally – from Birmingham right through – was a hard time. I had just finished my law degree so I was asking myself if I’d be better going down the legal route or another career.
“The more I thought about it I realised it would be crazy not to continue pursuing football as I am still young. I had Northern Ireland call-ups and clubs were in for me so I decided to see what I could do, get back fit and enjoy football again – and I have.
“I’m now doing a Masters degree in my spare time. My law degree took me four years, it was Open University online and I got a 2/1. It was a distraction when things were tough. It was my wee release outside football.”