Scott Brown, the St Johnstone midfielder, felt a little like an outsider as his team-mates cavorted following their triumph in the William Hill Scottish Cup final last season.
He has resolved to make more of an impact on the club's European campaign, as Swiss side Lucerne visit Perth tonight for the second leg of their Europa League qualifying tie.
The 19-year-old made just his third start for St Johnstone in last week's first leg, a match which ended 1-1. The outing brought Brown a rare sense of satisfaction after departing Bradford City to move to Perth last season.
He was left out of the matchday squad for the club's biggest game - the Scottish Cup final win against Dundee United - and as such as not able to enjoy the celebrations fully.
"I'm feeling better now I have played a few games. Last season I felt like an outsider because I wasn't playing much," said Brown, who confirmed that Stevie May is likely to start against Lucerne following a thigh injury. "I got a game against Celtic towards the end of the season which helped and so has being involved at the start of this season.
"The team did well last year and it's always great to see the team winning, but I never really felt part of it. The cup final was hard for me to watch because I was desperate to be involved in the team. I was delighted for the boys but as much as they tried to get me to join in with the celebrations, I felt a bit left out.
"But that disappointment has stood me in good stead. It's just made me hungrier to make a difference this year and hopefully I can do that against Lucerne."
That could come from set-pieces, with the Swiss side acknowledging that dead balls will cause them some concern in Perth. "Both goals against us in the first two games have come from corner kicks," said Thomas Wyss, the Lucerne assistant manager.
"We must defend them better and our standards and concentration levels have to be higher. We know we face a challenge."
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