Cleland wants to remain with Saints regardless of his role
Alec Cleland hailed departed boss Tommy Wright - but knows the show must go on at St Johnstone.
Cleland has been promoted to caretaker manager following the Northern Irishman’s decision to leave his role over the weekend.
He has bags of experience with the Perth club, having joined back in 2011 as a youth-team coach.
Cleland said: “We’d got over our tough start to the season. We’d come through it stronger, with the support of the board and the chairman.
“We all knew we would turn it around eventually and we were proved right.
“At no time during the difficult period did he say: ‘I’ve had enough, Alec’or anything like that.
“We’ll all have opinions on Tommy’s decision but the most important thing is, it was his decision.
“That makes it the right decision. We’ve got to respect it and because of that it’s 100 per cent the correct decision.
“The chairman asked me to be caretaker and I said:‘Yes, I’m happy to accept’. I’ve just been thinking, though,‘I might be the only caretaker to never take a game!’
“Myself, Alan [Maybury], Paul [Mathers] and everybody else – we’ll try and continue all the good work Tommy has done.
“We’re still going in the right direction. Tommy has been a massive part of it. The show must go on and that’s what he would want.”
Attention has turned to who will have the task of following in Wright’s footsteps.
Cleland’s name has been mentioned among the frontrunners to step up, alongside the likes of former fans’favourite Callum Davidson and Inverness boss John Robertson.
“I know I’ll get asked this question but I’ve been happy getting my teeth into the role as Tommy’s number two over the last couple of years,”he said.
“The chairman has asked me to be caretaker. I’ll do that and the club will go through the process of appointing a new manager.
“I’ve spoken to Kirsten [Robertson, head of football] and made my intentions clear – I want to continue to be part of this club. I’ll never get involved in that process.
“I don’t like saying‘I want this job’or‘I don’t want that job’.
“When I look at the managers they have appointed, everyone can see that whatever that process is, it works.
“St Johnstone don’t change managers a lot.
“They’ve been getting it right. I know the club will get it right again.
“I’ve seen the names thrown about. The chairman and Kirsten’s phones will be red hot.
“Who wouldn’t want to work at St Johnstone?”