Steven May shows he’s got style and substance

IT CAN be hard to see past Steven May’s hair. It must be even harder for the 19-year-old himself, but he had no trouble peering through his chin-length fringe to gaze proudly on the two Irn-Bru awards presented to him at Hampden this week.

May, on loan at Alloa from St Johnstone, scored eight times in five games for the Third Division league leaders in January. That feat made him the first man since Willie McLaren in 2004 to be voted the Scottish Football League’s player and young player in the same month. Oh, and he made it a triple honour by claiming Irn-Bru’s Ginger Boot, given to highest scorer across the three leagues.

Ribbed as the Carles Puyol of Alloa, he can now expect to be recognised for more than his barnet. He said: “I used to get it worse but not many people mention it now… not as many as there should be. If I was playing against someone who had this I’d be slating them for it! What is that on your head?”

May seemed on track in Perth a year ago when he won man of the match against Motherwell in his first start, then scored twice against Hamilton in his next full outing. However, he didn’t add to that tally, in all making nine starts and 14 substitute appearances.

He dropped down three divisions to re-ignite his development but, with his contract up at the end of the season, doesn’t make too much of the potential for his efforts to earn a new deal at a club that seems destined to lose their frontline strikeforce of Francisco Sandaza and on-loan Cillian Sheridan in the summer.

With Steve Lomas having taken over from Derek McInnes in November, May has never played for the current manager and he said: “You never know what can happen at the end of the season.

“All I can do is keep playing. I think they’ve sent coaches to watch me in most of the games. The manager texted me the day I got a hat-trick to say well done, which I was grateful for.

“I don’t worry about the contract situation when I’m playing.”