Former Hearts striker opens up on managerial sacking
Former Hearts striker Steven MacLean has opened up about his time as St Johnstone head coach in his first interview since his departure in October.
The 41-year-old noted the challenges he faced during his five-month stint at McDiarmid Park, and claimed that the summer rebuild proved to be a much bigger task than he had originally expected.
The former Scottish Cup winner replaced Callum Davidson as Saints boss in April and signed a three-year contract with the club. He helped steer the Perth club to safety in his first few weeks in senior management, but the Saints were bottom of the table and without a league win at the time of MacLean’s departure. However, he remains optimistic that the club has enough to survive in the division.
“I think we were actually starting to progress in the right way. We had a lot of injuries in the first part of the season and we couldn’t build any momentum, but I feel like I left them with a squad that’s capable of staying up in the league.
“Unfortunately it didn’t end well, but I’ve learnt a lot from that. I’ve looked back and studied some of the mistakes I made, but also things I did well. I’ve got a lot of fond memories and whatever I do next, I feel I’ll be a better coach or manager for that spell. But hopefully I can get back in soon and make an impact.”
The 41-year-old enjoyed an 18-year career which saw him represent the likes of Rangers, Aberdeen, St Johnstone, Hearts and Raith Rovers. He notably scored in the Scottish Cup final for St Johnstone against Dundee during a 2-0 victory in 2014.