Hendry agrees new deal and could play before end of season

Wright believes striker can kick on after season hampered by injury

Call um Hen dry has agreed a new two-year contract with St Johnstone and has a chance of playing again for the first team before the season is over.

The former Blackburn Rovers striker made three appearances for the Perth side earlier in the campaign but has spent the last few months recovering from a pelvic injury.

Two other promising youngsters – Ali McCann and Greg Hurst – have also signed fresh deals.

Boss Tommy Wright said: “Callum’s season has been hampered by injuries but we think he has shown enough potential to keep him longer.

“He needs to come back and have a good pre-season and kick on. He showed us enough in the early part of the season to make us think he is going to be good enough. Callum is over the pelvic problem which has kept him out. It has been a niggly one. But he could feature in the games coming up.”

He added: “Ali McCann and Greg Hurst have-agree-done-year-extensions. It’s good to have them tied up, and there are a few others things ongoing that we hope to have firmed up in the next few days.

“Ali has done extremely well this year, forcing his way into the first-team squad and we have high hopes for him. He can play in a number of positions. He could fill in at right back but we see him more as a defensive midfielder.

“Greg maybe hasn’t had a great time of it on loan at Forfar but he will come back and force the issue. The potential is there but it has to be on a more consistent basis. It will be a massive season for him because at his age he really needs to kick on.

“We are also talking to a few people about coming in.” He said there was nothing definite but he hoped to get one over the line soon.

Saints travel to Motherwell tomorrow, looking for a win to go level on points with their seventh-placed opponents.

“The recent performances haven’t yielded the number of points we would have liked, with four points dropped in the last two games,” said Wright.

“With the goal difference, if we lose it guarantees them seventh. So we have to take something from it. We really we need a win to help our chances of overtaking them.”

David McMillan will get game-time at Fir Park, while Steven Mac Lean makes his last appearance in a Saints shirt.

Wright said: “McMillan will feature in part of the game. He is in a better place now. He has had 30 minutes against Dundee United (under-20s) and an hour against Celtic. He has had a full week’s training.

“The likelihood is he will get more game time against Hamilton and Ross County.

“Brian Easton has had his operation. Hopefully that will clear up his problems once and for all and he can work hard during the summer to be ready for next season.

“This will be Steven MacLean’s last game for us. He helped us out for 10 minutes in Europe but I have to be consistent with him about not playing him on artificial surfaces like Hamilton’s, and he is suspended for the final game against Ross County.

“He may go to Hearts and play on these pitches, I don’t know. That will be for them to decide. We have gone with what the experts say.

“I’m sure Macca will get a good send off after the game against County, and it is our player of the year awards night after that match.”

Meanwhile, Jason Kerr has been called up to the Scotland under-21 squad for the Toulon tournament in the summer.

Pictures: SNS. Callum Hendry, top, has penned a new two-year deal with Saints, while Greg Hurst has returned from his loan at Forfar to sign a one-year contract extension.