Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Top league a great leveller for most teams, says Saints star
ST JOHNSTONE defender David Keltjens is relishing the intensity and competitive nature of Scottish football.
Keltjens arrived in Scotland in January and has started eight matches, with his only defeats coming against Rangers, Celtic and Dundee, who visit McDiarmid Park today.
Saints are very much involved in the battle for Premiership survival and Keltjens knows every point could be crucial.
When asked for his early impressions of Scottish football, the Israel cap told Saints TV: “You don’t feel a big difference between the teams. Every game you can win, you can lose and everything changes.
“Most of the teams are the same level and there’s not much points between the teams, so every game is very important. From now until the end of the season, every game is like a cup final.
“We all know the importance of the remaining games and the next match is a derby against Dundee. We know how important it is in our own stadium.”
Meanwhile, Saints boss Craig Levein revealed a second diagnosis for Sven Sprangler has ruled out the need for the midfielder to undergo season-ending knee surgery. The news has raised hopes that Sprangler, injured in defeat at Celtic a fortnight ago, could return to aid St Johnstone’s survival bid at some stage.
Levein explained: “When Sven left, he was all set to go over there and get an op. But they’ve re-scanned it and think it’s not quite as serious as first thought.
“Sven said he was going to choose the op, but it’s been reassessed and they think it doesn’t need operated on. So that’s a better option. He’ll get a programme over there that he’ll need to follow now.”