ST JOHNSTONE LATEST MACCA HAD MY HEART SET ON SAINTS SWITCH Callachan reveals chat with McDiarmid legend helped convince him to leave boyhood heroes

Ross Callachan has revealed that some words of wisdom from Perth legend Steven MacLean convinced him that he’d made the right decision to sign for St Johnstone.

The midfielder left Hearts — who MacLean moved to in the summer after six years in Perth — to pen a two-year-deal with the McDiarmid Park club last week.

And Callachan admits it was a tough decision to leave the Jambos, a team he grew up supporting and dreamed of playing for.

But he recognised that the time was right to go and, after a brief chat with MacLean, knew that Saints would offer him the perfect chance to kick-start his career.

“It was a bittersweet one leaving Hearts because I grew up as a fan and loved it there,” Callachan said.

“The facilities, coaching staff and the boys were top drawer. “The emotional attachment to a club is great. But when you’re put to the side and not getting recognised, it isn’t great.

“Leaving was tough but I felt I had to do something to get playing again. That is the main thing.

“I want to be part of a team where I’m playing. When you’re not, there is nothing worse as a footballer.

“You feel like you are going in every day and not doing your job.

“I don’t think there was a moment it turned at Hearts. I just stopped getting played as regularly.

“We came back and I knew things maybe weren’t going to be the same. That’s why I’m at St Johnstone.

“I had a brief chat with Steven MacLean and he said the boys are great and that it’s a great club. He thinks I can do well here.”

Callachan played in the reserves’ 3-2 defeat against

St Mirren on Monday — and he is impressed with the strength of the squad.

“It’s the right decision to come to St Johnstone and a good one because I feel right at home straight away,” said the central midfielder.

“I knew that the manager Tommy Wright had liked me because he had been trying to sign me for a while.

“When St Johnstone were interested, I knew that I wanted to go there.

“As a player, you want to play for a manager that likes you and wants you to be there.

“Tommy thinks I can come here and do well — and hopefully I can do that for him.

“It didn’t really work out for Danny Swanson either with his time at Hibernian and he’s back here now.

“We’re obviously hungry to go and kick-start our careers.

“You look at the squad we had last Saturday at Hamilton — it’s really strong. With myself and Danny signing, we’ve added to the strength in depth.

“It’s good because it means there is competition for places when you have two or three good players in one position.

“That is going to spur everyone on.”