Former St Mirren midfielder Jake Doyle-Hayes believes Jim Goodwin made Buddies fans believe he was closer to staying in Paisley than he actually was.
The Irishman left the Saints when his contract expired in the summer, almost signing for Dundee United before making the switch to Jack Ross' Hibs in June.
Speaking to the Down the Slope podcast, the 22-year-old revealed he felt that Goodwin misled his club's fans by stating he was close to agreeing a contract extension when he wasn't.
Doyle-Hayes said: "St Mirren had offered me a deal before Christmas last year.
“I sat down with my agent and we decided we weren't going to sign anything there and then.
"The manager knew that, but I felt he was telling the fans I was close to signing a new deal when I never really was.
"The fans were obviously going off what he was saying, and I think they thought I left as soon as Hibs were interested.
"But I was never close to signing a new deal.
"There was interest from other teams, but then I got a call from Jack Ross and I didn’t really have any other thought in my head to be honest. I was asking when I could come in.
"It was a no-brainer. It’s a great place to be and I’m delighted to be here and I think I’ve settled in quite well.”
