The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Veteran winger relishing return
Conway looks forward to Tannadice opener after penning deal
One-time Dundee United star Craig Conway is set to square-up to his old club in the Tayside derby.
The veteran winger yesterday sealed a 12-month deal with St Johnstone after impressing on trial.
And the Scottish Cup-winner with the Tangerines already feels right at home in Perth.
“It’s been a mad few months for me but I’m delighted to be here,” he said, after a spell with Salford City.
“I think it’s been about 10 years since I last lived in Scotland and I actually stayed in Perth while I was playing for Dundee United so it’s great to be back.
“The first game of the season will be against my old club and I just knew that would happen. I’m looking forward to it if I’m involved, although it will be a little strange going back there.”
Conway, a former Scotland international, starred for Cardiff City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Blackburn Rovers after leaving Tannadice.
And that wealth of experience tempted boss Callum Davidson to deal him in after losing wide man Drey Wright to Hibs.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play a lot of games for some big clubs and I think that I bring that experience in to help what is a young and talented squad here,” said Conway.
“From what I’ve seen in training there’s a lot of quality here and hopefully I can help add to that. I’m feeling fit and I’ve been training with Salford up until about four weeks ago as well, so I’m raring to go.
“I always go on my gut feeling and having spoken to the manager a lot I got a really good vibe.
“I was really happy with the things he was saying about the club, his vision moving forward and how he saw me fitting into that.
“It’s great to be a part of it and I’m just looking forward to getting out there on the pitch and getting the new season started.”
The stands might be deserted but David Wotherspoon expects his Perth teammates to pump up the volume on the pitch.
A youthful St Johnstone side clawed their way to a sixth place finish last term after enduring a tortuous start to the campaign.
And Wotherspoon has detected a growing sense of maturity in the ranks of a youthful squad which grew in self-belief from the turn of the year.
Saints, with Callum Davidson taking over the managerial reins from longtime manager Tommy Wright, are relishing the return of a Tayside derby with Championship winners Dundee United to bring up the curtain on the new campaign.
And while many pundits are tipping the Perth side for the top six, boyhood fan Wotherspoon insists the players will do their talking on the park.
“We were in a very good place at the end of last season but while we will take confidence from the way we finished, we have to put the same work in to keep it going,” cautioned the Canadian international.
“Last season we probably had more numbers, but this time around we have more youth and more youth with a bit of experience behind them.
“Not much has changed from the team which finished the season. Bar one or two everyone is still here. One difference I would say is that the dressing-room is a louder place.
“The younger lads have had another season under them, they’ve come out their shells more and there is a confidence in them.
“What happened last season, the way it started and the way it finished, will have done them the world of good.”
Former Hibs play maker W other spoon, at 30, finds himself one of the more experienced men in the McDiarmid dressing room.
But while he’s ready to play a lead role along with influential characters like Liam Craig and Murray Davidson, the midfielder highlighted the return of one-time striker Steven MacLean in a coaching role.
He said: “They will also benefit from Macca being around the place because he’s a big talker and I know from when I was younger he had a big influence on me. They will learn loads from him over the next few years.”
Wotherspoon, who joined his home-town team seven years ago, reckons the hallmark of St Johnstone’s success under Wright’s leadership was their quietly-quietly approach.
And that won’t be changing under his one-time assistant Davidson, following his arrival from Millwall.
“The focus here is exactly the same as it always has been – we know what the club is all about and what we have to focus on,” he said.
“Things haven’t changed because we have a new manager. The gaffer still wants hard work and to do the things we’re good at. Nobody here has ever gone about shouting about what we’re going to do. We keep it all in-house and see where it takes us.
“That approach has served us well in the past. It has always been the approach.
“Within the group we have targets but we never put them out there because when you start all that stuff you can lose focus. So for us again this season, we will just take it week by week and see what happens by the end of the season.”
Wotherspoon, who was pinpointed by the previous manager as his most influential signing, noted that calm was quickly restored after the immediate shock of Wright’s departure.
“There has been continuity with
Callum – and Macca – coming in. Most of us know them and had worked with them before.
“His approach to the game is the same as it always was – work ethic, belief and working together as a group.
“You can tell he passionately believes in what he’s saying when he gets his message across and that rubs off.
“So the transition has been easy both ways – for us and for them because they know the club well.”
The Tannadice clash sees rival managers Davidson and Micky Mellon at the helm of their teams for the first time.
“I saw United on the television a few times last year but they have a different manager now, so things could change,” noted Wotherspoon.
“They are a good side, they picked up
results consistently last season and will be tough to play against.
“Obviously Lawrence Shankland has scored a lot of goals for them but you can’t just focus on one player in a team, it’s a team effort.
“So we will focus on all the strengths and weaknesses they have.
“It’s a big fixture for us and for the club so it’s an exciting way to start the season, even though there won’t be a crowd there. It has been a long time since March so the lads are desperate to get going now.
“It’s obviously going to be a very different experience playing in an empty stadium.
“You will hear everything and you won’t have the crowd driving you on.
“So everyone will have to adapt to it. But the motivation will be the same.
“Just because there is no crowd doesn’t mean you won’t want to win the game any less. We know what we have to do this weekend and are ready to go.”
Davidson’s squad will include Millwall loan stars Danny McNamara and Isaac Olaofe, while the Perth club last night finalised a deal for one-time United winger Craig Conway.
The 35-year-old, who was a Scottish Cup winner with the Tangerines, has impressed on trial since leaving Salford City.