IT’S good to talk, St Mirren captain Stephen McGinn has learned.

Chided by his managers for being too quiet as a younger professional, McGinn sometimes now “talks for the sake of talking”, which he believes enhances his own game.

While most of the outside chat surrounding St Mirren’s return to the top flight is how they are among the favourites to go down, McGinn is just delighted the club back amongst the country's elite.

Having been given the armband in February last year just eight days after signing, with the club sitting seven points adrift at the foot of the Ladbrokes Championship table, McGinn is “really proud” of the incredible turnaround which occurred under previous manager Jack Ross.

“I think when I got the role, the club was at rock bottom and that made it easier for me,” said McGinn, 29.

“Andy Webster, who had been captain at the time, made it really easy for me. Because of the drive of what turned out to be a great 18 months and the respect I’ve got of the boys, it turned out easily and one I relished.”

Saints get their Premiership campaign up and running at home to Dundee on Saturday and it is an occasion the former Dens Park midfielder is relishing.

“Sometimes you can make all the right noises and imagine all the right things but the last 18 months have been such an intense ride," he said. "To walk out there having taken St Mirren back to the Premiership will be as proud as I can possibly imagine in my career.”

McGinn, who led the way as St Mirren claimed last year’s Championship, has, of course, previous with the Saints in Scotland’s top flight.

He scored a memorable, curling winner against Rangers 10 years ago during his first stint in Paisley.

The central midfielder, who has had a chequered career in England with the likes of Sheffield United and Wycombe, insists he is “a completely different player” to the one back then.

“I was speaking about that to one of the younger players the other day,” he remembered of his first St Mirren spell between 2006 and 2010, before moving down south, initially with Watford.

“The last time I was used off the wing in a Gus MacPherson-style 4-4-2, with two central midfielders out wide, so it was a lot of energy and running.

“The game’s definitely got easier. I was always one of the young players who fell out with a manager who said, ‘Yeah, I’m going with experience’ – [and I’d say] ‘Why, why?’

"Now I’ve got to that age and I’ve realised how much easier the game can be using experience and game knowledge that I’ve picked up over the years.”

That experience includes speaking up on the pitch and in the dressing room as skipper.

“When I was a bit younger managers used to moan at me for being quite quiet,” he admitted.

“Naturally, I think the armband’s taken my game to a new level. Sometimes I talk for the sake of talking, which sometimes I don’t think is a bad thing for my own game. I think my game has gone to a new level since I’ve had the armband.”

With new manager Alan Stubbs bringing a number of players in from England, McGinn admits he has been telling the troops precisely what is expected of them.

“The market the manager has gone so far, the boys that have come in have absolutely no idea about Scottish football,” he confessed. “When we played Queen’s Park last week I don’t think they realised the stature of the stadium [Hampden] they were about to go and play in.

“You ram it down their throat how successful we’ve been for the last 18 months and how we want to keep that going as long as we can.”