Jack Ross: St Mirren give manager permission to speak to Ipswich Town

Jack Ross guided Saints from the brink of relegation to League One back to the Scottish Premiership

St Mirren have given manager Jack Ross permission to talk to Ipswich Town as the English Championship club seek a replacement for Mick McCarthy.

Ross, 41, steered the Buddies to promotion to the Scottish Premiership, winning the second-tier title by a 12-point margin.

That success earned him the PFA Scotland manager of year accolade.

Ross, who moved to Paisley from Alloa, has previously insisted that he will lead the Buddies in the Premiership.

In February he was targeted by English Championship side Barnsley, but decided at the time he was better off staying at St Mirren.

Last month he told BBC Scotland that if he does leave, "it would have to be for something that felt better."

Ipswich finished 12th in the English Championship this season, with McCarthy departing four games before the end of the campaign.

Analysis: "It would be a big opportunity at a huge club"

Former St Mirren and Scotland striker Steven Thompson on BBC Sportsound: "It is not something Jack is going to jump into; he will give it a lot of consideration. He has earned the right to talk to bigger clubs.

"He has been phenomenal. He is ambitious and his stock is incredibly high just now.

"It would be a big opportunity at a huge club with masses of tradition, a great infrastructure and training ground.

"Myself and other St Mirren fans are desperate that he doesn't go; he will already have plans in place for next season, and pre-season - recruitment will already have started.

"It would be a big concern should he go, but it just seems this opportunity is too good; it is very much up to Jack.

"He is a very switched-on, clever guy and I am sure if he is offered the job, he will give it a lot of consideration.

"He will weigh up the pros and cons, but for me, the pros out-weight the cons of joining a club the size of Ipswich."