Young players could be given the chance to make their mark

SAINTS: Covid-19 crisis will force clubs to turn to youth – just like Livi did, says Davidson

The coronavirus pandemic will be a career-ender for many senior pros across Scotland.

But the post-shutdown football world should be viewed as a career-starter for younger players looking for their big breakthrough, according to St Johnstone midfielder Murray Davidson.

Out of adversity came opportunity for the 32-year-old when Livingston were suffering financial troubles a decadeand-a-half ago.

And the same will be true on an even broader scale in the SPFL over the next few months when the Premiership, and then the lower leagues, get back under way.

We’ll never know if the likes of Davidson, Robert Snodgrass, Leigh Griffiths and Graham Dorrans would have become Scotland internationals with hundreds of top-level games under their belts if they had started out at a club without money worries.

But what we can say for certain is that the necessity to look at what they had in their youth ranks at West Lothian certainly didn’t hurt them.

And Davidson, who made 36 appearances for Livi between 2006 and 2009 before his move to Perth with Dave Mackay, can see parallels with what is about to become the norm across the board next season and perhaps beyond.

“This is the best time to be a young player in Scottish football,” he said.

“Every single club will be going with a thinner squad, so for lads who are 17, 18 or 19, this is going to be a great chance.

“Some of those boys would probably have been put out on loan, but in the

“Some of those boys would probably have been put out on loan, but in the current climate they’ll be needed by their clubs this year

current climate they’ll be needed by their clubs this year.

“It reminds me of coming through at Livi where we went from having a 20-man squad to hardly having any players, so that opened the door.

“That was the making of me and when you look at the players who came through there, Graham Dorrans, Leigh Griffiths, Robert Snodgrass, Andy Halliday, James Mcpake.

“It was all boys who came through, got their chances and took it when the club didn’t have much money.

“So, that shows the opportunities will be there and I’m sure if you ask any of them they’ll say getting their chances early helped their careers massively.”

Ali Mccann made the step up to the first team with distinction this time last year.

Cammy Ballantyne, John Robertson, Olly Hamilton and Jordan Northcott are among the youngsters who will be looking to follow Mccann’s lead, and rise to the challenge Davidson has outlined, in 2020/21.

“Every club will need one or two of their young players to stand up and be counted on,” he said.

Pictures: SNS Group. Murray Davidson joined St Johnstone in 2009 after getting his opportunity at Livingston.

Robert Snodgrass was also at Livi.