BY KYLE GUNN 

ST Mirren defender Mihai Popescu revealed his father was a big part of his decision to move to Scotland.

The Dinamo Bucharest loanee joined Saints in January and has been a fans’ favourite since his arrival.

And watching YouTube videos with his dad sealed the deal for the Romanian.

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He said: "My father watched all the games. He knows things about Celtic and Rangers, here.

"When I had this offer from St Mirren, I started looking on YouTube and he looked with me and he told me: ‘OK, the plan is to come to the team, it’s a good team. They have a good history in Scotland. I think it’s a good team. It’s a good opportunity for you. Maybe why not, after, you go to a big team in Scotland or in another country.'

"If I stay in Romania now, I don’t know if I’ll play. The last coach, at Dinamo, in the last three games he put me as captain, and when we come back from holiday, he told me ‘you need to find a team, because I don’t play with you anymore, I won’t take you with the team in the pre-season’ and ask him ‘Why? Because in the last three games you tell me all about the team and now you tell me you need to find a team’ and they didn’t explain anything.

"This is my decision, this is what’s happening with you, you need to find a team. That’s when I spoke with my agent and I found this team, St Mirren. I think it’s a good chance for me to go to a big club here, or in another country."

Popescu admits having a couple of days off to return to Romania was welcome as it was his first return since making the move.

But it doesn’t distract from the task at hand of staying in the Premiership.

Saints are hoping for their first back to back victories in nearly 12 months as they face Kilmarnock on Monday night.

He continued: “Two days, I was home. It was good for me to come because I came here in January and I’ve stayed here just for training and adapting here.

"I needed these two days off to go home. I lived in Bucharest for eight years, but my home is a small city 150km from Bucharest. I stay with my girlfriend and my family and just spend time with them because I haven’t seen them in a long time, maybe two months, I’ve stayed here.

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“I am happy to win, our first win this year. Hopefully it’s just the start. Against Kilmarnock, we need to take points. Me and my teammates want to take another three points, to go up in the Premiership. 

"I think I am a strong player. I have a little bit of experience but not too much, because I play just in Romania, I don’t play in another country. I want to be good. I need to work hard, to be more good than now."

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