The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Caley Jags knock back bid for Deas
St Johnstone have had a bid knocked back for Inverness Caledonian Thistle defender Robbie
Deas.
And the chances of the former Scotland Under-21 international moving to Perth in the January transfer window are not strong, Courier Sport understands.
The centre-back is under contract with the Championship side until the summer of 2023 and Caley Thistle are reluctant to do business at this stage of the season. Even a substantial offer from Saints hasn’t altered their stance.
Deas, who started his career in Celtic’s academy and has had loan spells with Alloa and Cowdenbeath, is a central figure in Billy Dodds’ promotion-chasing side.
Saints manager Callum Davidson has already snapped up Dan Cleary, Tony Gallacher and Nadir Ciftci, and has had a bid knocked back for another one of the top performers in the Championship, Partick Thistle striker Zak Rudden.
Two defenders have left Mcdiarmid Park – Lars Dendoncker and Reece Devine – and Efe Ambrose may follow them out of the exit door.
Meanwhile, Cleary has revealed he could have been a
St Johnstone signing in the last transfer window. The former Dundalk defender was Callum Davidson’s first recruit in January.
But on a dramatic deadline day in the summer, when Ali Mccann and Jason Kerr left the Perth club, the Saints boss explored the possibility of getting him to Scotland a few months earlier.
“The gaffer got in contact for me on the last day of the window in August,” the former Liverpool and Birmingham City man told Saints TV.
“Since then we’ve kind of been back and forward. My contract was coming to an end with Dundalk and he showed an interest again. I was delighted to get it done.”
Cleary, who has since been joined by Gallacher and Ciftci, is up for Saints’ relegation battle.
“The lads have welcomed me well,” he said.
“I want to help the team win as many games as we can and keep the club in the league.
“As a team we need to stay up. That’s our main aim and we definitely have the players here who can do it.
“I’ll always give 100%. Even if I’m not having a great game with the ball, I’ll always give my all for the team. That’s what I’m based on.”
St Johnstone’s shortterm future has a midfield “Plan-b” at the heart of it. And one of the club’s upand-coming young players is hoping that continues to be the case.
Callum Davidson will be calling upon Craig Bryson and Jacob Butterfield to inspire a second half of the season as Saints bid to surge up the Premiership table.
Cammy Ballantyne, meanwhile, will continue to play his competitive football with Montrose until the end of the season.
But highly-rated 21-yearold Ballantyne is absorbing all he can from training alongside the two experienced pros in his position at Mcdiarmid Park.
And the end-game is joining them in the Saints first team.
Scotland schoolboy international Ballantyne said: “The standards Craig Bryson and Jacob
Butterfield set in training are phenomenal.
“They’re great professionals. It’s the same with Liam (Craig) and Murray (Davidson).
“I’m learning so much – just little things like the timing of the runs I make. I’m absorbing it like a sponge.
“I don’t really need to ask the likes of Butterfield too many questions. I just need to see what he does, analyse it and take it into my own game.
“I’ve got top players to learn from at Montrose as well and the coaching staff are brilliant.”
Saints recently extended Ballantyne’s contract through to the summer of 2024, giving him plenty of time to make the progression from one of the top performers in League 1 to a Premiership player.
“I’m enjoying playing every week at Montrose,” he said.
“I spoke to the manager (Davidson) to get his thoughts for the rest of the season and he’s keen for me to keep playing games.
“And I’m delighted to get the new deal. I’ve worked hard and it’s a bit of security.
“Now I’ll be focusing on what I can do to help Montrose and improve myself as a player through to the end of the season.
“I obviously want to play at the highest level possible.
“I get the best of both worlds at the moment for a working week – standards are high here and I’m training at St Johnstone two or three times a week as well.”
Liam Craig was at Links Park to see Ballantyne play an advanced midfield role for the Angus side in the first half of their 1-1 draw with Alloa at the weekend before he dropped deeper for the second 45.
“The manager and Liam give me plenty of feedback,” he said.
“I feel comfortable technically and in possession. For me the next step is the other side of the game – getting the ball back, shape, things like that.
“I like to do both those positions. I think I’ve got an eye for a pass if we’re in possession in the final third. And I want to add more strings to my bow and dictate things as well.
“I do enjoy both roles but probably where I started is my favourite position. I feel that’s where I offer more to the team.
“The way St Johnstone usually play in midfield the two outside midfielders do a lot of running. You need to be fit to play there.
“Sometimes we play a three at Montrose as well – we did that last week.
“I do try to think ‘what would I be doing in this role if I was a level up’ and think how I would translate it into training at St Johnstone.”
Charlie Gilmour, who would have played against Montrose last weekend had he not been sidelined, has been recalled by Davidson.
Ballantyne is content to be patient for his first-team chance at Mcdiarmid.
“When I first came to Montrose I was raw,” he admitted. “Really raw.
“Looking back, you think you’re the main man and the full package. But I feel I’ve progressed a lot since then. I’ve become more of a student of the game – analysing what I’ve done in a match and thinking about where I can get better.
“The two-year security I’ve got now can only help me in that regard.
“I’ll be looking at what more I can do. Things like maybe more gym work and smoothing out the rough edges.
“I wouldn’t say I was frustrated. Obviously I want to play as high as I can but I don’t get ahead of myself and I don’t want to come across as big-headed and that I think I should be playing. I’ll make sure I‘m ready.”