The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Wright’s challenge to youngsters
TOMMY WRIGHT has challenged his promising crop of McDiarmid Park youngsters to take the chance in pre-season that he is ready to give them.
The St Johnstone boss has high hopes for several of the emerging talents at Saints, but has warned it will be down to them if they take the next step.
Striker Chris Kane made a name for himself on loan at Dumbarton, while Liam Caddis and Gareth Rodger also have plenty of first-team experience after being farmed out.
Midfielder Scott Brown was given a first-team start in the last home game of the season against Celtic, while winger Craig Thomson came on as a substitute against Dundee United at McDiarmid Park, and there are others Wright has high hopes for.
None have been lined up for loans at the moment, so the ball will be in their court when they come back from the summer break, according to the Saints manager.
Wright said: “We’ll have Gareth Rodger, Scott Brown, Liam Caddis, Chris Kane, Dylan Easton and Craig Thomson. “Scott Wilson’s another one. “It’s a big year for them and I’m looking for at least four to push for a place in the first-team squad on a regular basis.
“The plan is to keep Chris Kane with us next season and not send him out on loan.
“I want to look at him in pre-season and assess it.
“If he’s not quite at the level we need he’ll go out on loan again.
“But I think he’s shown enough training and with what he’s done Dumbarton to suggest he’s ready.
“For all of those boys though, it depends on them.
“It depends on what they do when they come back, and what they do with the opportunities they get in pre-season games, because they will get opportunities.
“You can say that’s putting pressure on, but it’s the way it is.
“There’s no point doing it for the under-20s and then when you train with the first team you come up short.”
When Wright was swithering whether to offer a new contract to Paddy Cregg, the reason he didn’t was he wanted to make sure there was a pathway to the first team for Brown.
And he believes the challenge of integrating Brown and others into their cup- in at winning side has helped him reset his goals on the back of the Scottish Cup final win.
“People say to me after the final, ‘how can we improve this?’ Well maybe that’s how. By introducing more of the younger players and building something for the club.
“That’s the challenge for myself, Callum andAlec. We are definitely recruiting better between 16 and 20.”