These three Saints can go marching all the way in to Steve Clarke’s Scotland plans
Callum Davidson, believes all three of his young centre-backs are good enough to play for Scotland one day.
As someone who won 19 caps during an 11-year career in dark blue, the St Johnstone manager should know.
Jamie Mccart, 23, has already represented the country at Under-19 and Under-21 levels.
Likewise, Jason Kerr, who’s a year older, made half-a-dozen appearances for the Under-21s back when he was eligible.
And while Liam Gordon, now 25, has never had the call, his dramatic progress has won praise from, among others, former Saints boss, Tommy Wright.
“From what I’ve seen so far of them, I would say without a doubt all three could step up to Scotland,” said Davidson (right), speaking ahead of Saints’ Premiership meeting with Celtic.
“That is what they want to achieve, to get to that higher stage.
“The performance levels of all of them have been so good since I came back.
“Jamie has been one of the star performers of the season so far.
“He is a left-sider and, as such, he gives us great balance in that back three because he can step in or play diagonals, and has a good range of passing.
“He has been excellent in the last four or five games, even better than he has been in the rest of the season.
“Liam probably started off a little bit behind the other two, but playing in the middle of a back three, he has been outstanding.
“You can hear his voice clearly in our games. His communication levels are extremely high.
“And Jason is one of those players who is always able to step in, and do whatever you ask him to do.
“So they all have the potential. Hopefully I can help them get there.”
Davidson has no problem with the trio being lumped together. It is, he says, a very natural combination.
“To be honest, it’s been the most pleasing thing of the whole season,” the Saints boss continued. “I haven’t changed my formation probably down to the performances of those three players.
“If they were in different form, or somebody was struggling, I might have gone to a back four and not played that system.
“People say I prefer a back-three system, but the fact is the three of them play that well together it would be stupid of me to break it up.”
Today’s game gives Jamie Mccart another run out against the club where he started his career.
His father, Chris, is also Celtic’s head of youth.
“Most people rely on their parents for advice, and I think I am in a privileged position because my dad is a coach,” he said. “He had a good career himself, and I always rely on him for advice.
“In certain games, the big games, he trusts me and he doesn’t have to say much. “For this one, his feelings will probably be 50:50, in that he will want Celtic to win but for me to play well.”
Stephen Welsh’s injury suffered in the Hoops’ win over St Mirren on Wednesday night has cost Mccart the chance to get a close up view of one of his dad’s latest protégés in action.
However, while acknowledging the 21-year-old had managed to do what he himself dreamed of doing – make the breakthrough at Celtic Park – the Saints defender insists he has no regrets.
“I definitely needed to get out when I did. In the last year of my contract, I knew,” he said.
“I had a wee bit of a chance when Brendan Rodgers first came in, but I knew in the last year that I had restart my career in a way.
“I needed to drop down (which he did with loans at Inverness CT, St Mirren and Alloa) and get playing time.
“When you’re at a club like Celtic, the only thing that matters to other teams is how many first-team appearances you have.”