I WANT EURO BUZZTO RETURN
Seeing his friend and former teammate Alan Mannus land a dream Europa League draw has whetted Zander Clark’s appetite for a return to the competition.
Mannus (38), a fine servant at St Johnstone for seven years, produced penalty shootout heroics last week to send Shamrock Rovers beyond Ilves of Finland.
His reward is a home second qualifying round tie against Italian giants AC Milan whose ranks currently include Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Shot-stopper Clark remembers the excitement when Saints awaited news of European opponents in years gone by and wants that feeling to make a come back.
Clark said: “I remember the buzz about our place when we were in the Europa League and drawn to play Rosenborg.
“It’s a great draw for Alan. It probably would’ve been a little better if it was at the San Siro.
“But I’m sure a lot of teams going into the draw would’ve wanted that tie.
“I suppose you never expect to come up against a side like AC Milan. It’s the magic of the draw and hopefully they can pull off a result.
“It would be another scalp for him to add to his collection because he’s had a few at St Johnstone.
“These games are chances to play against some top players.
“But there are not many folk I wouldn’t back big Al against. I’m sure he can look after Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“Leaving Saints, he maybe didn’t think there would be another chance for a big memorable European night.
“I don’t imagine anyone outside Shamrock Rovers will be expecting them to win the game. But sometimes you can throw up a shock.”
Clark is on the comeback trail from a knee injury and is set to pick up game time in a bounce match this weekend.
“I worked my way back into training but then picked up the injury,” Clark said. “We assessed it and it became apparent it wasn’t going to be short-term.
“It was especially frustrating considering the amount of time we’d had off. You want to come back and hit the ground running.
“But it was another standstill for me. It’s part and parcel of what we do - you are sometimes going to pick up injuries.”
The 28-year-old has been forced to watch from the stand so far this season and has been impressed with the work of Elliott Parish.
Clark explained: “I’ve found it more nervewracking watching than playing. I’ve been heading and kicking every ball.
“Elliott has been brilliant. I needed to be on the top of my game last season, knowing that Elliott was there too.
“He is a top class goalkeeper and one who has shown he is more than capable. He has pulled off big stops for us.
“It was great for him to get the clean sheet at the weekend but he is unfortunate not to have had more. His performances have merited it.
“It’s healthy competition and always keeps you on your toes. As a goalkeeper you need to be on top of your game in every match.”