I’ll fight to keep star man Danny Wright determined to hold on to Swanson amid Hibs speculation
Gavin Rumgay
Swanson has been in fine form St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright is determined to hold on to star man Danny Swanson amid speculation about a move away from McDiarmid Park.
News surfaced earlier this week that Neil Lennon’s Hibernian could be set to make a move for the crafty midfielder, whose deal in Perth runs out in the summer.
The 29-year-old would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement but boss Wright is emphasising how important it is to keep Swanson at the club.
“It’s the season for speculation about players,” Wright told the Perthshire Advertiser.
“Look I know Neil well and if Hibs are interested in Danny I’m sure he will pick up the phone and ring me. Unless he is still smarting from the last time I beat him at golf.
“While he has not re-signed for us there will continue to be this sort of speculation surrounding Danny.
“I have emphasised to the club how important the player is to us and we should be in the box seat to hopefully get a deal done. Whether or not that materialises, I don’t know.
“I want to keep Danny. Last season I lost Michael O’Halloran and before that Stevie May. I don’t want to be losing Swanson and there are a few others I want to hold onto.
“It is frustrating as a manager when you lose your better players. We have got to make sure we protect our assets and do everything we can to keep our best talents.
“I have wanted Danny to extend his contract here since the end of last season. It hasn’t happened yet which is a bit frustrating but we certainly have a good opportunity to try and keep him. And I feel we must keep him.
“The club is dealing with it but I think one of the problems is that Danny is between agents at the minute. But I have emphasised how much I want him to stay and hopefully that can happen.
“I can definitely understand why a club the size of Hibs might be interested if they were looking to build if they get promoted for next season. I think one or two others might also be interested, in Scotland and even England.
“It is difficult finding the players of quality and to attract them to St Johnstone. So it would be disappointing if we did lose Danny.”
Swanson has been in the form of his life this season and has already netted 11 goals. Wright’s been delighted with the impact the former Dundee United and Peterborough man has made since his return.
“Danny says he has been playing the best football of his career here so hopefully that will be in his mind,” he said.
“Myself and the staff have got the best out of Danny. We brought him here initially after he had been out of the team at Coventry and he got the move to Hearts.
“When it didn’t work out there we brought him back again and he has done extremely well. He had never done a pre-season with us before so we are getting even more out of him.”
Saints will look to get their home form back on track this weekend when Inverness visit McDiarmid Park.
“This is a tough league and I’m not interested in how their recent form has been,” Wright said. “I saw them at Dundee and thought they could have won the game.
“We have to look after ourselves and be better than we have been at home. To be better we have to make sure we cut out individual errors. Do that and we give ourselves a platform to get three points.
“It is very much back to basics and stop giving away cheap goals.
“If you had said we would score two at Hearts and the same against Ross County you’d have expected more than a point.
“We have been scoring goals but we have been built on defending situations well in recent seasons and we haven’t done that. We have a good away record but have let ourselves down at home.
“We know that and the players don’t need me banging on about it. We haven’t lost being outplayed – we have just cost ourselves too many points.”
On the injury front, Wright added: “Murray has had a good week and Zander has trained fully so he will be fine. Joe has trained all week and while Chris Millar has been doing well it’s a week too early for him.
“Keith Watson got 90 minutes in the U20s and I’m pleased with the progress he is making.” attacking first.”
Rumgay’s stats in the top Swiss League are impressive and he has two weekends of action remaining before attention turns to the World Championship of Ping Pong, an event he always looks forward to.
“So far I am top of the averages with 16 wins and 1 loss,” Rumgay said. “At this stage in 2014 and 2015 I had lost at least five matches.
“Since August I have played 40 competitive matches at Pro Tour and in Swiss and British tournaments with a 35 win to five loss record.
“For sure I am hitting the ball with more power, my legs Gavin once battled on court with Andy Murray Gavin Rumgay has been in hot form