Craig: Saints will cope with exodus

Liam Craig knew a changing of the guard was coming at St Johnstone when there were more dads with kids on the park than young players

at the end of the season.

The average age of the team will plummet with the departure of Steven MacLean, Alan Mannus and Chris Millar. But Craig insists Saints have spent nearly a decade coping with the loss of one big player after another. And he says this summer won’t be any different. Saints’ eighth-place finish may have been a shock after six straight years in the top six – but the midfielder wants to prove it was a detour and not a decline. The Perth side were already relying more on youth and six players under 23 featured in their final game of the season Craig, 31, is convinced he and the remaining senior pros can help Tommy Wright turn it around. Craig, studying for his UEFA ‘A’ Licence with the SFA at Oriam, said: “We did a wee walk round the park after our final game with Ross County.

“It showed then that the team was getting older because the older players had more of their kids walking beside them than ever before.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s difficult losing Stevie, Chris and Alan. “But there are still good senior pros here and a real emerging bunch in the likes of Ali McCann, Jason Kerr, Aaron Comrie, Scott Tanser. “I had good people around me helping me earlier in my career, guys like Jack Ross. I’m conscious that I’ve got to do