The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Kerr hopes for chance to finally make his mark
Youngster feels he has learned from spells on loan
Jason Kerr is getting close to 100 firstteam appearances in senior football and has been a St Johnstone player for four years, but he has yet to make his competitive debut for the Perth club.
That statistical quirk won’t last much longer, with Tommy Wright keen to give a chance to the man he described as the best centre-back in the Championship during his loan spell at Queen of the South.
The Scotland U21 international will be in the squad for tonight’s rearranged Scottish cup clash with Albion Rovers and is keen to show Saints fans that his time away from McDiarmid Park has been well spent.
“It’s good to be back here,” he said. “Especially because I’ve not actually spent much time as a St Johnstone player before.
“I have been here since I was 17 but spent most of it out on loan.
“So even though I have played quite a few games now, this is the first time I actually feel involved here, so it’s great.
“The gaffer brought me back and said he wants to see me fight to get into the team because we have good centrehalves here.
“The club gave me a new deal, so that has given me a bit of confidence to kick on the push for the team here.
“The loan spells were great for me. You learn loads playing in real games against proper men.
“The under-20s is good but it’s not the same as first-team football and I think to get that experience you have to go out on loan.”
Kerr added: “I always saw it as a positive that the manager wanted me out on loan, learning the game, rather than stay here and not play.
“I’ve learned plenty from being with East Fife and then Queen of the South, so hopefully that stands me in good stead now I’m back.”
If selected, Kerr will be in a minority of Saints players who has faced Albion Rovers in recent times.
“I’ve played at Cliftonhill a few times,” he said.
“It’s not the best pitch to play on but we are hoping to get a result.
“The conditions will possibly be a factor after all the snow and it will probably be heavy, but that’s something you have to deal with.
“We have all played on pitches like that before so we’re hoping to get a win and go through to the next round.”
The gaffer brought me back and said he wants to see me fight to get into the team. JASON KERR