I’m here to play
Samson throws down the gauntlet to Rogers
Craig Samson has warned new Saints keeper Danny Rogers he won’t give up the gloves without a fight as the pair battle it out for the number one spot.
The St Mirren goalkeeper, 34, knows that Rogers is waiting in the wings as they both go in search of first- team football ahead of the Premiership opener against Dundee on August 4.
Samson has so far started three out of the side’s four games this season, with on- loan Aberdeen keeper Rogers starting against Spartans and featuring as a secondhalf substitute in last Saturday’s friendly defeat to Sunderland.
The Irishman is expected to challenge Samson for the starting jersey – but Samson insists he isn’t ready to give up all of last season’s hard work to simply sit on the bench now the team are in the top flight.
Samson told Express Sport : “Promotion was something I wanted when I came back to St Mirren – I didn’t sign on here to float about the Championship.
“We had an aim to get back up and we have done that.
“I spoke to the new manager at the beginning and told him that I didn’t do all the hard work to get up and not play. I will try and do my best to get in the team. Danny has come in from Aberdeen and he is trying to push me to see who plays.
“But I’m determined that I can show the manager what I can do in the Premiership.
“Ross Stewart pushed me all the way last year, he is an excellent young goalkeeper and he has earned himself a good move to Livingston.
“Now Danny has come in and he wants to play football. But I want to play football as well.”
Samson was again the hero for the Buddies on Tuesday night as they earned the extra League Cup point on penalties away to Queen’s Park.
But he admitted it was perhaps more than his side deserved after struggling against Gus MacPherson’s Spiders.
He added: “We have now had a couple of shootouts now that we were hoping to avoid.
“We didn’t play well enough at Hampden and we got what we deserved. Queen’s Park probably didn’t deserve to lose that game. They played very well.”