'I’ve loved every minute of it': Former Glentoran youngster admits St Mirren will always hold special place after summer departure confirmed

Boyd-Munce, who came through the ranks at Glentoran before spending time at Birmingham City and St Mirren, joined the Buddies in 2023 and went on to register 68 Scottish Premiership appearances as Stephen Robinson’s side sealed three consecutive top-half finishes.

Robinson admitted earlier this month that Boyd-Munce had been made an “incredible offer” to remain in Paisley but the club couldn’t match the figures up for grabs elsewhere.

St Mirren confirmed Boyd-Munce’s departure on Thursday and he has been linked with multiple clubs in England alongside a sensational MLS switch to Toronto FC in recent times.

Boyd-Munce, who made his Northern Ireland debut last summer and is included in the squad once again for next month’s friendly double-header against Denmark and Iceland, admits the club has been important in both his professional and personal development.

"It’s a very special place,” Boyd-Munce told the club’s media channel. “My son was born here, we’re grown as a family here and I’ve grown as a person here.

"There are people who are very close to me and will always be close to me.

"I’ve loved every minute of it and I hope people have special memories of the time I’ve been here.

"It has given me more than a platform – I think it’s unfair for people to use it just as a platform because we’ve shown with the quality we have in the club, and that goes for the staff on and off the pitch, that we can go further than what people think.

"I hope people start to realise that and it has been really important and special to me.”

Boyd-Munce’s cousin – and fellow Northern Ireland international – Conor McMenamin remains contracted at St Mirren ahead of next term while former Dungannon Swifts midfielder Oisin Smyth will also stay with the club.

Ex-Cliftonville loanee Luke Kenny, who was part of the Reds’ Irish Cup-winning squad in 2024, has signed a new deal with Robinson’s men prior to heading out on loan next season.

"We had hoped to get Luke out on loan in January, but injuries meant we needed to keep him around,” said Robinson. “We believe Luke can become a good Scottish Premiership defender, but he needs games.

"We’ve given him a new contract with a view to sending him out on loan to get much-needed game time at a good level to help aid his development before coming back to compete for a place here."