Wotherspoon delighted to sign new contract
, and published by the Perthshire Advertiser, 58 Watergate, Perth, PH1 5TF (01738 626211). Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper. wants the club’s recent success to continue.
He has made over 200 appearances for the McDiarmid Park side since joining from Hibernian back in 2013.
Wotherspoon’s contract now runs through until May 2021 and he is delighted to remain with a club that means a lot to him.
“They have all been good years and playing in the top flight of Scottish football is great,” the 29-year-old said.
“I’m delighted to sign on for another two years. I’m settled, happy and have another child on the way so I need to look after the family.
“It would have been a massive risk if I was to let my contract run out and then not have anything at the end of it.
“I’m happy here and I’m playing most weeks. I feel like I’m doing well so it was a case of signing on the dotted line and carrying on.
“I signed a two-year deal when I first joined and was hoping to progress as much as I could. I feel like I have.
“Winning the cup with Saints was excellent. It’s been great and I hope it can continue for us.”
Wotherspoon’s football at St Johnstone has helped to open the door to the Canadian national team.
And he hopes this can be the year where he makes his competitive debut.
“The next game is in March,” Wotherspoon said.
“My wife is due this weekend so it’s a case of waiting and seeing what happens with that.
“I’ve not played a competitive game yet, just in a friendly. But I’ve been involved and on the bench for every other game.
“I’ve not got on which is disappointing but I always get positive feedback from them.
“I feel if I keep going then I can make that breakthrough. It’s massive for me and for my family.
“I’m travelling a long way and I’m hoping that I get that chance. I know I can do well.
“It’s a great experience playing with top level players and some of the best in the world.
“Alphonso Davies, for example, has gone to Bayern Munich. Playing with that standard is good to be involved in and be around.”
On the club front, Wotherspoon helped Saints record a 0-0 draw against Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday.
He said: “We’re doing well and this season has been a bit better than the last one. David Wotherspoon, seen here in the draw against Rangers on Saturday, says it was an easy decision to sign deal St Johnstone were yesterday awaiting scan results on goalkeeper Zander Clark’s hamstring.
The influential shotstopper was ruled out of Saturday’s game against Rangers after picking up the injury on Friday.
Boss Tommy Wright is hoping for the best and said: “Zander has been booked in for a scan and we should have a better idea of his injury in the next 24 hours.
“It’s a concern. But I don’t want to speculate because once an assessment has been made we will have a better idea of the timeframe involved. He just overstretched in training.”
Also on the injury front, Wright is hoping to welcome Michael O’Halloran back to his squad for this weekend’s home game against Aberdeen.
“Michael has had a tight hamstring,” Wright said. “But I will be disappointed if he isn’t fit for the Aberdeen game this weekend or certainly the Hibs one after that.
“Tony Watt has had little niggles with both ankles.
“Brian Easton will play against Morton reserves on Tuesday. It will be good to get him back.
“There was a lot made of players missing for Rangers on Saturday but we were also affected.
“Injuries are part and parcel of football but we were without Drey Wright, arguably our most influential attacking player, Clark, Easton, O’Halloran and Watt.
“But I know the players in that dressing room are good enough to step up.”
Meanwhile, Wright was thrilled to extend the contract of midfielder David Wotherspoon, now signed until May 2021.
“It’s great to have Spoony sorted out for another two years,” Wright told the Perthshire Advertiser. “He has fully deserved it.
“Spoony is a manager’s dream. I move him about because he can play across the midfield and he just gets on with it.
“He has been a huge part of our success over a number of years.”
But we’ve still got work to do to hit our targets. I used to come to games when I was younger and watched the First Division, which was always a battle.
“The stability we have got at the club is great and the fans should realise that we’re overachieving every year.
“Everyone is working together to stay where we are and continue to progress as much as we can.
“We had a bad run of games and there were a combination of things that didn’t go right for us. But we started fresh and the boys were right at it at the weekend. The defence was brilliant and up front I thought Chris Kane was excellent running the line. He was just what everyone needed.
“It felt a bit like when Stevie May was here, chasing everything down and giving you an out-ball.”