Following in footsteps of Mackay was wow moment Skipper Kerr on his Hampden emotions as he joins Dave in Saints’history books
He became only the second ever St Johnstone captain to lift a national trophy.
That very fact will take a while to sink in for Jason Kerr.
Hoisting high the League Cup at the age of just 24, instantly he was the pride of Perth and the pride of his hometown of Penicuik.
“It feels like it’s not sunk in yet,” Kerr beamed. “It’s a real honour for me to lift that trophy. It was weird at the time.
“A couple of seconds before I lifted it, I was thinking ‘wow, I’m actually lifting a cup for St Johnstone.’
“It’s a massive moment for me, and a massive moment for the club as well. I’m chuffed to bits.”
The only other Perth captain to taste this kind of success was Dave Mackay – Saints’ 2014 Scottish Cupwinning skipper.
“I never really played with Dave,” Kerr explained. “But I joined the club when he was there and I trained with him a few times. I know him.
“He actually gave me a good luck message before the game and said ‘well done’ after the game as well.
It’s a massive moment for me and the club
Jason Kerr
That was good from him.”
Kerr was understandably delighted for all of his teammates. There was a special word for Liam Craig, though.
Craig, who has played more than 400 games for the club, had waited his whole career for a moment like this.
“For Liam Craig and the more experienced ones, it was a really special day for them,” said Kerr.
“You could see how emotional they got at the end. I’m just really happy for Liam, I must say that.
“He’s the vice-captain but he acts like a captain around the place.
“Not just on the pitch, but off it. He’s a real leader, a great guy to have around the changing room.
“I’m just so chuffed that we could go and win this trophy for him.”
And while long-serving fellow midfielder Murray Davidson missed out through injury, he was still very much involved in celebrations.
Kerr continued: “Muzz is a huge part of our team. I was saying to him: ‘It’s not just about the final’.
“He played a massive part in the semi-final and everybody wanted him involved with the celebrations.
“He’s a big player and a really good guy. All the boys loved getting him in the middle of everything at the end.”
Jason Kerr lifts the League Cup. Below is Mackay with the Scottish Cup in 2014
The game itself can often be a bit of a blur. The highspeed action passes in a flash.
But Kerr does realise that this 1-0 triumph was a mightily structured and impressive defensive performance.
Of course, manager Callum Davidson was getting plenty of the credit for that.
“Defenders always want a clean sheet, whatever the game, and to get one in a cup final was amazing,” Kerr said.
“That started from the front. I thought Kano (Chris Kane) was really important.
He eased the pressure for us at big moments in the game.
“The clean sheet doesn’t just go to the back three.
“Everyone defended so well. It shows how good a team we are.
“Callum Davidson was my coach when I first joined the club and then he was the assistant manager under Tommy Wright.
“It’s a magnificent achievement to win the Scottish Cup as an assistant and then the League Cup in your first season as a manager.
“It shows you how good he is. He’s changed the team since he’s taken over and he’s a really good tactician.”
Kerr and his manager embraced at the final whistle and that will be a memory to last a lifetime. One thing missing were the fans.
Sharing the moment with the supporters, friends and family at the national stadium would have been so special.
Kerr reckons his mum would have been struggling to watch the latter stages of the game. She had her face painted blue and white.
He laughed: “My mum was probably in the kitchen at some points in the game, especially maybe the last 20 minutes when it was a bit cagey.
“It would have been good if we had got a couple more goals to ease the pressure. She would have been very nervy in the last 20 minutes.
“She used to paint her face when I was at the boys club as well. She would pull out all the stops and always take that one step further.
“I’m glad she had a really good day and I’m glad we could win it for her as well because she loves getting involved in all that stuff.”
There will, hopefully, be more grand occasions to follow in the years to come.
“There is a lot of youth in the squad, a lot of good talent. It’s just good that we could go and win a trophy,” Kerr added.
“We’re still young in our careers but the boys were saying, you might not get a chance like this ever again. So you just need to enjoy it.
“And I think all the boys did enjoy it. It’s just a good achievement. It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it’s really good for us all.
“We are always consistently doing well in the league. And we give ourselves a chance to win cups. It’s really good that those stats are there.
“To back it up with a trophy win is outstanding for the club.
“It just shows you how good St Johnstone are and how consistent they have been over the last 10 years.
“To be the second most successful club in Scotland over the last 10 years is magnificent.”
As the blue and white confetti continued to settle at Hampden Park, Kerr was questioned whether there could be national team recognition coming Saints’ way. He, himself, has previously been involved with Scotland Under-21s.
“When you win a cup final there will be attention on you,” Kerr said.
“But I feel that we need to keep our feet on the ground and make sure we keep playing well.
“There will be a lot of people watching but we have to concentrate on our own performances.”
Discussing goal hero Shaun Rooney – who has been the life and soul of the Perth party – Kerr added: “I think Shaun is a massive candidate for Scotland. Just look at how well he’s done this season.
“He always pops up with an important goal for us and he’s definitely been the man of the tournament, I would say.
“He’s a top, top player and you’d like to think there’s a good chance he can get a call-up. On his day he’s unstoppable.”