Rooney will be another brick in the McDiarmid defensive wall says Kerr

ST JOHNSTONE captain Jason Kerr has backed Shaun Rooney to make an already strong defence even stronger.

Kerr and Rooney were team-mates at Queen of the South for the first half of the 2017/18 Championship campaign.

And the Saints skipper saw enough from Rooney to suggest the new McDiarmid Park arrival will make the Perth side better.

“I was on loan at Queen of the South when he was there,” said Kerr. “So I know him personally.

“I played beside him for a good few games and he really likes to get forward. He is a big boy and is quick as well.

“He likes getting involved with attacks and is also very good in the air. He’s an all-round good defender.

“He will add a lot of quality to the side.

“It’s another young player for our defence. It’s a very young defence like last season. But that doesn’t change the fact that Shaun has got a lot of experience from different leagues.

“He has all the qualities to play i n the Scottish Premiership and I’m sure he’ll fit in well.”

Saints are still managerless, but on the playing front it hasn’t been a closeseason of drastic change.

Kerr believes that has been the right approach.

“We’ve had a few players leave the club, which is disappointing,” he said.

“But throughout other leagues and teams there have been massive clear-outs.

“We have t he same squad as last season, apart from Shaun coming in. There won’t be much gelling together needed.

“It’s great that we have been given a date (for the start of the Premiership) because that is something to look forward to.”

Shaun Rooney is a new face at St Johnstone.