The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Painful memories of Saints’ greatest day
INJURED MIDFIELDER REFLECTS ON HIS HAMPDEN HEARTBREAK
MURRAY DAVIDSON has opened his heart on the greatest day for St Johnstone that was also the worst of his career.
With refreshing honesty that probably every player in the country will understand and empathise with, Davidson looked back on Saints’ thrilling William Hill Scottish Cup final victory over Dundee United as the time when he experienced nothing but overwhelming anguish.
The reason for his personal pain was that he was sitting in the stand at Celtic Park instead of playing his part on the park.
He did make it on to the pitch after full-time to join in the celebrations and was at the postmatch party at McDiarmid Park on Saturday night and in the city centre the following day as the cup was paraded.
However, Davidson admits that when the first whistle blew to start the game against the Tangerines he was overcome by despair that he wasn’t out there himself.
“The Scottish Cup final day was the worst of my career by a mile,” said Davidson, who has signed a short-term deal to take him to the end of August as he continues to recover from the serious knee injury that sidelined him since January.
“That’s the honest answer. I had so many mixed emotions beforehand because I didn’t know how I was going to be at the final. I was fine travelling through because I was on the bus with my family and Steven MacLean’s family. “
MURRAY DAVIDSON has opened his heart on the greatest day for St Johnstone that was also the worst of his career.
With refreshing honesty that probably every player in the country will understand and empathise with, Davidson looked back on Saints’ thrilling William Hill Scottish Cup final victory over Dundee United as the time when he experienced nothing but overwhelming anguish.
The reason for his personal pain was that he was sitting in the stand at Celtic Park instead of playing his part on the park.
He did make it on to the pitch after fulltime to join in the celebrations and was at the post-match party at McDiarmid Park on the Saturday night and in the city centre the following day as the cup was paraded.
However, Davidson admits that when the first whistle blew to start the game against theTangerines he was overcome by despair that he wasn’t out there himself.
“The Scottish Cup final day was the worst of my career by a mile,” said Davidson, who has signed a short-term deal to take him to the end of August as he continues to recover from the serious knee injury that sidelined him since January.
“That’s the honest answer. I had so many mixed emotions beforehand because I didn’t know how I was going to be at the final. I was fine travelling through because I was on the bus with my family and Steven MacLean’s family.
“But as soon as the first whistle went it just hit me. I actually just wanted to go home and watch it there because I couldn’t handle it. It was horrible.”
Davidson was keen to stress that he felt only delight for everyone else connected with Saints.
It is just that the day was two-tracked for him, with personal pain running alongside happiness for others.
“I had a great weekend watching them and seeing how much they enjoyed what they had done,” he said.
“The parade was brilliant on the Sunday and we all had a really good laugh, but I didn’t play and you can’t forget that.”
Maybe so, but what you can do is strive to sample success in the future, and that is exactly what he intends to do.
The short-term contract will give him the chance to try to make it back for preseason training, and the dream scenario for Davidson would be involvement in Saints’ Europa League campaign, which kicks off on July 17.
“Finals like that are what you want to play football for, so now I want us to get back there and win it again,” he said.
“That’s my driving force now. Missing out makes you more hungry to get that chance again. I have never been more determined to get back on to a football pitch and be playing.”
Manager Tommy Wright was pleased to be able to offer Davidson the deal, saying: “We’re glad Murray is making good progress and the club had told him we would give him the time to get fit.”
Rotherham manager Steve Evans is understood to still be interested in Saints striker Stevie May after the club won promotion to the English Championship.