May back to his very best thanks to Saints return, says MacLean

THE sight of Stevie May barrelling his way towards goal and unleashing a drilled finish was a throwback to the most joyful of times for St Johnstone fans.

The grin on the striker’s face as he danced in celebration suggested the man himself has returned to a happy place.

As he viewed footage of May putting Saints ahead at Ross County last weekend, Steven MacLean shared in his old strike partner’s glee.

The pair teamed up during the club’s historic Scottish Cup-winning season in 2013-14 and MacLean has sympathised with his friend as his career has suffered several setbacks.

‘It’s great to see Stevie back enjoying his football so much,’ said MacLean. ‘It’s no coincidence that he’s starting to look like his old self now that he’s back at St Johnstone and working under Tommy Wright.’

After moving to Sheffield Wednesday in an £800,000 transfer, May (right) made his Scotland debut against England at Wembley just weeks after his 22nd birthday. He seemed firmly on a path to the top but has not played for his country since.

The first knock came with a change of manager that saw Carlos Carvahal replace Stuart Gray at Hillsborough then promptly sell him on to Preston for a similar fee. Before he’d found his stride at Deepdale, he was struck down with a knee injury that damaged three separate ligaments and kept him out for 14 months.

‘When Stevie went down south, he was flying and I expected him to go from strength to strength,’ said Hearts striker MacLean, who is on loan at Raith Rovers. ‘But he picked up a couple of injuries and, trust me, that can really slow you down.

After two years of toil in Lancashire, May was offered a return to Scotland by Derek McInnes, who had given him a career debut as a teenager back in the old SFL Division One.

The move to Pittodrie seemed to weigh heavy on his shoulders as he attempted to ingratiate himself with the Aberdeen support.

‘It never quite happened for him at Aberdeen,’ said MacLean. ‘Players will always have bad games but in some environments that is forgiven more easily than others.

‘The demands are different. Stevie went to Aberdeen with a bit of a price tag and people expected him to produce straight away.

‘He needed time to settle but never really got it.’ The Dons cut their losses on

May in August when the 27-year-old eventually re-signed for his first club.

May’s six goals this term represent his best return for a season since his first year in Sheffield.

‘If you are playing at a club where you know you’re loved then it helps,’ said MacLean. ‘I had great times playing alongside Stevie, the best of my career.

‘We were finishing third, getting into Europe and won the cup. We’re still pals and we drop each other texts.

‘Tommy Wright knows exactly how to get the best out of him and how to manage him, too.’