YOUR SIX IS ON FIRE
Kane grateful for short deal before Cal’s arrival that saved his Saints career. Now look at him..
CHRIS KANE will always be grateful for the sixmonth deal he was handed while St Johnstone were managerless – that ultimately saved his Perth career.
The Euro hero was battling for his future at McDiarmid Park last summer after Tommy Wright had departed and before Callum Davidson was appointed. With the striker out of contract and the club facing up to the financial stress of the Covid crisis, the Saints board gave him six months to prove himself. It was a turning point as Kane got his head down, found a new lease of life under Davidson and helped the club to an historic cup double including scoring the opener in the 2-1 Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren. Another extension was signed in the middle of the season and his eight goals were rewarded with a new two-year contract in May. Kane got off the mark for the new season with the opener in Thursday night’s 1-1 Europa Conference League play-off draw with LASK. And the big frontman, who has been with Saints since the age of 15, said: “I’m getting more game time and that’s the main thing. “The more I play, the fitter I get and more confident I get. And that means I’ll score more goals. “Covid affected most clubs so I certainly wasn’t expecting a two-year contract. I was just grateful to get the six months last year because the old manager had just left and we didn’t have a new one in.
“You never know – you can’t be sure what a new manager will want and how he’ll see things.
“I wasn’t thinking negatively, along the lines of ‘six months and that will be me away’.
“I saw it as an opportunity to get my head down and to impress whichever manager came in.
“It’s worked out brilliantly because the gaffer has showed his faith in me. Hopefully I can keep it going.”
Kane’s goal got Saints off to a flier in Austria on Thursday night. It could have been even better had Glenn Middleton and Murray Davidson taken gilt-edged chances before LASK levelled from the spot.
It was another statement made on foreign soil after the battling 1-1 Europa League draw with Galatasaray a fortnight earlier.
Now the tie is set up for a winner-takes-all showdown at McDiarmid Park on Thursday with a minimum £3million prize for reaching the group stage.
Kane said: “The draw is definitely a positive result to take back to McDiarmid and hopefully get the win there.
“The fact that we’re a bit frustrated we didn’t beat a team like LASK shows how good a side we are.
“We created just as many good chances as them – if not more. We could have been two or three up by the time they had scored their penalty.
“Every game we play we look to win. The Galatasaray result showed that we have nothing to fear.
“We were optimistic that we could beat Galatasaray at home but they obviously turned up and got the result in the end.
“We will be confident again and we’ll give it a right good go.”
Middleton and Michael O’Halloran’s pace caused LASK all sorts of bother and the pair combined to tee up Kane for his 17th-minute strike in Klagenfurt.
And it was an almost carbon copy of his goal against St Mirren at Hampden four months ago.
He said: “With the speed of Mikey and Glenn, they can power past most defenders.
“They were rapid as usual and it was something we looked to exploit. I’m sure they’ll terrify most players they come up against. Glenn said before the game if he gets in that area he’s going to fizz it across.
“I knew not to look for the cut-back and to get right in there. I can remember the semi-final goal well and it did feel similar. Brilliant, eh?
“I need to be in the middle of the goal to take advantage of the positions Glenn and Mikey can get into.
“There is only one run I should be making really. I know they’ll find me.”
I remember the semifinal goal and it did feel similar. Brilliant CHRIS KANE ON HIS OPENER AGAINST LASK