A STATISTIC has been flying around social media since Sunday detailing that St Johnstone are the second most successful team in Scotland over the past decade.
Some may have had to read it twice to take it in properly, but their two major trophies and countless top half finishes over the past ten years put them ahead of the chasing pack behind the dominant Celtic.
Club captain Jason Kerr says consistency has been key for the Perth outfit in recent years but even he admits the current success of the McDiarmid club has been beyond his wildest dreams.
“I kind of put it down to consistency. We are always consistently doing well in the league. And we give ourselves a chance to win cups,” he beamed on Monday morning. “It’s really good that those stats are there.
“To back it up with a trophy win is outstanding for the club. It just shows you how good St Johnstone are and how consistent they have been over the last 10 years. To be the second most successful club in Scotland over the last 10 years is magnificent.
“It’s a real honour for me to lift that trophy. It was weird at the time. A couple of seconds before I lifted it, I was thinking ‘wow, I’m actually lifting a cup for St Johnstone’. It’s a massive moment for me, and a massive moment for the club as well. I’m chuffed to bits.”
Kerr was delighted for his vice-captain Liam Craig on Sunday as he put his cup competition heartache of the past behind him. The former Hibernian midfielder was close to tears as the emotions got the better of him at the full-time whistle and it was a special moment for Kerr to witness.
He continued: “For Liam Craig and the more experienced ones, it was a really special day for them. You could see how emotional they got at the end. I’m just really happy for him, I must say that.
“He’s the vice-captain but he acts like a captain around the place. Not just on the pitch, but off it. He’s a real leader, a great guy to have around the changing room. I’m just so chuffed that we could go and win this trophy for him.”
Around the likes of Craig, David Wotherspoon and Stevie May are a band of youthful talents who are just in the early beginnings of their footballing careers. Kerr is one of those and he admits he and his teammates have a bright future ahead.
He said: “There is a lot of youth in the squad, a lot of good talent. It’s just good that we could go and win a trophy. We’re still young in our careers but the boys were saying, you might not get a chance like this ever again.
“You just need to enjoy it. And I think all the boys did enjoy it. It’s just a good achievement. It hasn’t sunk in yet, but it’s really good for us all.
“We want to push for the top six. We think we’ve got a good chance of doing it if we play well in these next three games, starting at Hamilton.
“It will be a tough game. It always is there. They’re scrapping to stay up and we certainly won’t be underestimating them. We have our own ambitions and we need to get three points.”
Kerr joins illustrious company in Dave Mackay as the only two players to lift a major trophy in St Johnstone’s history. Mackay was club captain when Kerr was coming through the youth ranks at Saints and he revealed that a text from the former skipper spurred him on to victory on Sunday.
“I think he had retired by the time I returned from Queen of the South on loan. I never really played with Dave,” he explained. “But I joined the club when he was there and I trained with him a few times. I know him. He actually gave me a good luck message before the game and said ‘well done’ after the game as well. That was good from him.”
St Johnstone’s youthful defensive line has been tipped for international recognition following their cup heroics at the weekend. Shaun Rooney was the goal hero, but Kerr, Jamie McCart and Liam Gordon were equally as impressive.
On the prospect of playing for Scotland, Kerr said: “Defenders always want a clean-sheet, whatever the game, and to get one in a cup final was amazing.
“That started from the front. I thought Kano [Chris Kane] was really important. He eased the pressure for us at big moments in the game. The clean-sheet doesn’t just go to the back three. Everyone defended so well. It shows how good a team we are.
“When you win a cup final there will be attention on you. But I feel that we need to keep our feet on the ground and make sure we keep playing well.
“There will be a lot of people watching but we have to concentrate on our own performances.”
On Shaun Rooney, Kerr added: “I think he’s a massive candidate for Scotland. Just look at how well he’s done this season. He always pops up with an important goal for us and he’s definitely been the man of the tournament, I would say.
“He’s a top, top player and you’d like to think there’s a good chance he can get a call-up. On his day he’s unstoppable.”
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