St Mirren started last season in fine form, and for the first half of the campaign appeared to be guaranteed a place in the top six.

Despite dropping into the bottom six, St Mirren defender David van Zanten believes the club can aim a little higher again next term.

How would you rate the season St Mirren had last year on a scale of one to ten?

Last season started so well for us and we were well on target to achieve our goal of finishing in the top six. We were playing some great football and at Christmas time we probably felt our performances deserved more points than we had at that time.

After our best result of the season on Christmas Eve against Rangers we went through a spell where we couldn't turn draws into wins. Although we finished strongly those draws ultimately cost us a top six place.

The most disappointing aspect of the season for me was our cup defeats to Ayr and Hearts. Both defeats denied us a place in the semi-finals. The game against Ayr was one of the most frustrating games of my career and the Hearts game is one that we feel we should have won before it went to a replay.

Overall we can look back on the season with a lot of positivity and in finishing our highest position in twenty odd years I would rate our season a seven out of ten.

Are there any younger players in the squad that you think will really make an impact this season?

This pre-season has seen a higher than usual number of young players being involved with the first team. The Rangers situation has forced clubs to cut their playing budgets making managers look more and more towards younger players.

Thomas Reilly, Sean Kelly, Ross Meechan, John McGinn Jack Smith, Mo Yaqub and Jordan Holt have all be involved with the first team in pre season. Another good prospect, Jason Naismith has gone on loan to Morton to get some first team experience. All of these players, as long as they keep progressing, work hard and remain grounded, have an excellent chance of making a breakthrough.

Thomas Reilly made that breakthrough last season and if he keeps progressing the way he has been, he could make a big impact for the club this season.

What would you say would constitute a successful season for St Mirren this year?

Our target remains the same as last season. If we can finish in the top six it would be a fantastic achievement. With Rangers not in the league, another place in the top half is up for grabs and if we perform to our capabilities we see no reason why we can't claim that place. We know it won't be easy though as seven or eight clubs share our ambition. A good cup run would be nice and a trip to Hampden which has eluded me so often would be great for the players, the fans and the club.

Are there any fixtures in particular that you are looking forward to?

The game I'm looking forward to most is the first game of the season against Inverness. I can't wait to get the season started. All the hard work in pre-season is geared towards that first game.

Will the fact Rangers are not in the top flight change make the division tighter, or are there likely to be other teams who pull away?

I definitely think form second place down the league will be very tight. Celtic will win the league but there's going to be an exciting fight for second place and it will be a major achievement for whoever gets it. I would imagine that Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hearts and Motherwell will fancy themselves to be in the mix come the end of the season.

If you could have any player from any era as a team-mate at the club, who would you take?

There's so many I could pick like Cryuff, Messi and Pele but being the big Liverpool fan I am I would have to pick Kenny Dalglish. He has won so much as a player and manager of the club. He is a living legend.

You can follow David van Zanten on Twitter.