IT was the greatest day in the history of St Johnstone.

It was also the bleakest one yet in the personal narrative of Murray Davidson. While the rest of the Perth team danced around the Celtic Park turf with the Scottish Cup in celebration of the first major trophy in the club's heritage, the 26-year-old was skulking around in the shadows, his joy for his team-mates' achievement somewhat overshadowed by the self-loathing and pity he felt in missing out on it all whilst undergoing rehab from a torn patellar tendon.

Little wonder then that he craves the chance to play a more fulsome part as Scottish football's cup specialists chase some more glory in the cup competitions this year. First up is a visit to Ibrox, the scene of last year's Scottish Cup semi-final win against Aberdeen, against Rangers, the club with whom he has been consistently linked.

"Scottish Cup final day was horrible," said Davidson. "That was the worst day of my career to date. Going to the game, I wasn't sure how I would be but as soon as the whistle went I just didn't want to be there. After the game I was delighted for my team-mates, the club, the manager and the fans, but I was only part of it to an extent. The weekend was great, the Saturday night and the bus tour. But when you're not playing on a day like that it's only normal to feel a bit left out during the game.

"But there are positives in everything and missing the cup final has only made me hungrier. At the time it was horrible, but you have to use that as motivation. The boys who did play will want to replicate that and get to at least another semi-final. I want to do it with them."

Davidson has twice reportedly been on the fringes of a move to Ibrox on a more permanent basis, Ally McCoist first failing with a bid of around £100,000 in the summer of 2011, then being linked with him again - but failing to follow through with an offer - when he was out of contract in the summer of 2013.

Now re-signed until the summer of 2015, with the possibility of a further year's extension beyond that, the 26-year-old from Edinburgh would be more than happy to show the club what they are missing on Tuesday.

"I got a lot of stick from people saying I turned Rangers down but the chance never came up," said Davidson. "I got a phone call from Derek McInnes saying Rangers had put in a bid and he wasn't happy because we were playing them two days later.

"I think Geoff [Brown, the then chairman] rejected that bid and, although there were bits and bobs after that, I never spoke to Rangers. It was obviously nice to be linked with them at the time, a massive confidence boost, but I remained a St Johnstone player. I think there was also contact made last year, but I just leave it all to my agent. It's up to him - if he says to me that there is a contract offer then I'd have to think about it.

"I've loved my time here and am still loving it and I'm 100% focused on trying to get us into the semi-final," he added. "We've been good in the cups and I don't know why that is. Maybe it suits us to take it game by game. We will show them respect but won't be going there scared of Rangers. If we acquit ourselves right, the way we have done in cup competitions, I'm sure we will be fine."

Davidson, who turns up for training in a bobble hat, perhaps betraying the fact his hair has been a source of dressing room banter, now has a handful of first-team games under his belt. One of the best attacking headers of a ball in the Scottish game, he now feels he has his enviable spring back in those legs.

St Johnstone, minus Stevie May, and the injured Stevie MacLean, could certainly do with his goals.

"Thundering into tackles was not what concerned me," said Davidson. "It was springing off that knee. A lot of people don't know that's how I got the injury. I loaded it up, went to jump for a header and it pinged off the bone. In the first couple of games I felt I was protecting it a bit, but now it's as close to 100% as it'll ever be."