Riyad Mahrez lifts lid on St Mirren transfer near miss after fleeing Paisley on stolen bike
Riyad Mahrez has gone down as one of the modern greats after winning Premier League titles with Leicester and Manchester City.
But the Algerian legend could have been a sensation at ST MIRREN – until he escaped the Buddies on a borrowed bike!
Mahrez joined the Saudi Pro League exodus and is currently starring for Al Ahli.
The playmaker squared up against Celtic in the preseason Como Cup at the weekend.
But he could have been lining up against the Hoops on a more regular basis after going on trial with Saints as a teenager.
Mahrez was a kid in France at the time but he lifted the lid to Record Sport on his incredible experience in Scotland – when he eventually got fed up with the cold and did a bunk on a bike he found at his hotel in Paisley.
He laughed: 'It's life, it was part of the journey. Everyone has a story to tell!
'I liked Scotland. I was there for like two months but it was too cold for me!'
Mahrez eventually signed for Le Harve instead and was snapped up by Leicester City for just £400,000.
He was part of the Foxes shock Premier League winning side and then went on to star for Pep Guardiola 's Man City all-stars.
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