Alex Greive accepts injuries to other strikers have accelerated his initial progress at St Mirren but the January signing believes he will develop further now that Curtis Main and Eamonn Brophy are fit again.

Saints boss Stephen Robinson is set to have options up front for his first game in charge, against Hearts on Saturday, but Greive is the man in possession of the centre-forward jersey after netting twice in his last three matches.

The 22-year-old has played seven times in all since joining from Saints’ partner club Birkenhead United in New Zealand.

“I got a good run of games with Broph and Maino being out and I am just loving playing every week,” he said. “I’ve got a good taste for it now and I just want to keep it going.

“When you are playing every week and really part of the team, it does help you settle, especially with the wins we have been having, it has really helped me gel with the group.”

He added: “Having competition for places is only good for the team and it raises your own performance

“It’s a team full of good professionals so we will be pushing each other for sure.

“I have not played with players of this level too much before so I am taking it in, watching them in training, how they finish, and taking everything on board.”

Greive’s move to Scotland also led to his first New Zealand call-up, and he made his debut off the bench against Jordan earlier this month.

“Obviously I knew coming over here would help me but I never expected it that quickly,” he said. “It was a week after I made my debut that I got called up.

“I was buzzing, it’s your dream to get called up. To get it that quickly was really nice.”

Greive’s short time in Scotland has been highly eventful – the man who signed him, Jim Goodwin, left for Aberdeen and Robinson was quickly brought in.

“The gaffer has said he is not going to change too much because we are on a good run but everyone in training is out to impress so there has been a rise in the intensity,” Greive said.

“The intensity of training has been top notch so it’s all good.”