A new chapter beckons for Jamie
Defender raring to go again under new boss Davidson
He made a seamless transition from Championship to Premiership football and wasted little time in endearing himself to supporters.
Now determined centre-half Jamie McCart is preparing to prove himself all over again following the arrival of new manager Callum Davidson.
McCart, welcomed to McDiarmid Park from Inverness by former boss Tommy Wright in January, quickly cemented his place at the heart of the Perth side’s defence.
He was utilised as a second-half substitute against champions Celtic the day after his Saints move was confirmed. The rest is history.
The 23-year-old was then hoisted in from the start and was going from strength to strength before the coronavirus pandemic hit in mid-March.
The man who brought him to the club has left his position but, as training was set to recommence this morning, McCart has turned his attention to impressing Davidson.
“It’s always sad when a manager of Tommy’s calibre leaves a club,” McCart told the Perthshire Advertiser. “Everything he did for the club was incredible.
“For me, I was lucky he decided to sign me in January as it gave me a chance to get games under my belt before the new season.
“Tommy was brilliant for me from the first day I came in. Of course, I was sad to see him go. But it’s a new chapter now.
“With the new gaffer coming in, everyone can’t wait to get back training because it’s an exciting time.
“We’ve been introduced but you don’t really get to stop and chat for five minutes at the moment.
“That will come at the end of the week when we’re on the pitch.
“The boys have spoken very highly of the manager and loved him when he was here before.
“People outwith the club who know him have spoken to me and said he is excellent. I’m looking forward to working with him.
“It’s a fresh start for everyone, especially those who have been used to having the old gaffer. In a way it’s a clean slate for everyone at the club.”
McCart and his team-mates returned to McDiarmid Park earlier this week but were met with an unfamiliar scene when they pulled into the car park.
The purpose of their visit was not to get the balls back out but instead to undergo their first round of testing for coronavirus.
Giving a flavour of the new norm, McCart said: “Arriving at the stadium you see all of the staff and the boys, but you can’t even speak to them properly.
“It is pretty regimented and rightly so. It has to be for safety measures and it’s what has to be done for the foreseeable.
“Each individual player was given a time slot to come through the gates and we had our own allotted parking area.
“Before we were allowed to enter, we had to get our temperature taken. Everything from there is marked out for you to get the coronavirus test.
“The test is very uncomfortable. It’s a big massive swab down the throat for a couple of seconds.
“And the same swab gets stuck up your nose for a couple of seconds. It’s over in 10 seconds but it’s not enjoyable.
“The new gaffer pointed out that we should all be grateful because a lot of people aren’t getting tested in their workplace. We will be getting two a week.”
With three months of lockdown restrictions in place, the Saints squad needed to keep their fitness levels in check from home.
“I’m lucky in the sense that I don’t have too many commitments,” explained McCart. “I’ve got my girlfriend and my dog, so it has been pretty stress free for me.
“We had a couple of weeks off at the start of lockdown and ever since we’ve been ramping it up