The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Striker to savour ‘different world’
Saint looks forward to midweek Man City match after Betfred success
ST JOHNSTONE 4 STIRLING ALBION 0 “The place where we are playing is their training stadium, but it still holds about 7,000 and they can change the size of the pitch.
STEVEN MACLEAN
Steven MacLean says the midweek closed-doors game with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will be an eye-opener for the Perth players.
The Saints striker, who bagged a goal as Tommy Wright’s side eased into the last 16 of the Betfred Cup after seeing off part-time Stirling Albion 4-0, experienced life at high-rolling City when Sheffield Wednesday battled their way to an FA Cup replay.
But the 33-year-old says the wealthy Etihad Stadium club have stepped up to a different financial plateau since he squared-up to them.
St Johnstone cruised to victory with an early breakthrough from Steven Anderson followed by goals from MacLean, Liam Craig and late substitute David Wotherspoon – wearing a plaster cast on the wrist that required summer surgery – who rammed a late shot past stand-in Albion keeper Eddie Fearns.
Midfielder Fearns had taken over from the injured Chris Smith, who tumbled alarmingly on his neck in the 80th minute and was taken to hospital after the game.
The ex-Dunfermline player was concussed but released after attention, much to the relief of players and fans who feared he had been badly injured.
After topping their cup group, Perth minds are already turning to the game with Guardiola’s superstars.
MacLean said: “I thought the gaffer was at the wind-up when he first told me about the invitation. I said ‘aye, right’, but he got his phone out and showed me the messages.
“It’s a good thing to do before the league season starts because it will be a great experience for the lads.
“The younger ones especially will take plenty from it. If they have aspirations to play at that level then they should soak it all in. The facilities are embarrassingly good.
“So if they want to play at that level one day then they’ll get a little taste of what it’s like if you can do well enough to get yourself to England.
“It’s like a different world. I was at the Man City v Barcelona game with my wee boy and we went for a look around. The facilities are amazing.
“The place where we are playing is their training stadium, but it still holds about 7,000 and they can change the size of the pitch.
“They can move it so they have a Barcelona-size pitch and ones the same as the other top clubs.”
MacLean, who revealed he opted for Rangers instead of City as a teenager, recalled: “I scored an equaliser for Sheffield Wednesday in an FA Cup game and then had another chance with eight minutes to go to win it.
“I think Giorgios Samaras scored for them that night and Joey Barton was outstanding.
“I got Sylvain Distin’s shirt and still have it in the house, but there’s nobody left from that team there these days.”
MacLean has already secured his A coaching licence and relishes the prospect of seeing a Guardiola side at close quarters.
“The talk is of John Stones coming in from Everton but they’re saying he’s going to play Fernandinho in there because Guardiola wants to play football from the back.
“So it will be interesting to see the way they play. It will be an eye-opener on loads of levels.”
MacLean got a Friday message from the City scout who tried to take him south as a teenager.
He laughed: “John Ferguson texted saying ‘you’re never too old’, but I think he might be being a bit optimistic there.
“He still comes and watches me play here at St Johnstone sometimes and we still speak.
“I was at Hutchison Vale at the time and they were very keen, but going to Rangers felt right.
“Man City were really keen. They wanted to move my family down as well, and they were keen to send me to school there.
“I think that was one of the reasons I didn’t go – I remember telling my mum that I wanted to play football, not study!”