Murray Davidson insists he harbours no bitterness that the transfer window has shut and he’s still a St Johnstone player.
Nobody will ever know whether the medial ligament injury Davidson picked up last midweek scuppered a follow-up bid from Ally McCoist or an offer from elsewhere, but it won’t be something Davidson will dwell on.
He stated: “There’s never a good time to pick up an injury but I suppose the timing was particularly bad. It is hard to take but I knew at the time I had done something to the knee. Maybe I shouldn’t have made the challenge but I didn’t see the keeper coming at me.
“It is a grade two medial tear and that usually means being out for up to eight weeks. But I am a quick healer and hope to be back in six.”
Manager Derek McInnes, who is appealing a four-match touchline ban at an SFA hearing on Tuesday, was delighted the transfer window closed with Davidson still in his squad.
He admitted: “I want to see any player get on in the game but the move has to be right for the club and obviously that wasn’t the case with the Rangers bid.
“Sometimes transfer speculation can be hard for a younger player but no one could question his focus with all that was going on and I was impressed with Murray’s maturity.
“Whether or not something would have happened if he hadn’t been injured I’m not entirely sure, but the good thing from our point of view is that Murray is still a St Johnstone player. The uncertainty is over and we can crack on.
“The next window is January but right now it is up to Murray to win his fitness battle. Getting fit and back into the team is the priority and then he will be back putting in the sort of performances we have come to expect from him.”
McInnes reported that Willie Gibson was withdrawn early during Tuesday’s closed-doors game with Dundee United and hasn’t trained since. It is hoped he’ll be back by Monday.
Chris Millar was given his first full training session on Thursday and Kevin Moon should join him next week.
Speaking for the first time since the Perth club knocked back a £150,000 bid for him from Rangers before the season started, the former Livingston man pointed out he had “no problem” with McDiarmid Park chairman Geoff Brown dismissing the offer from Ibrox.
He added that when he returns from a knee injury in a few weeks’ time he’ll be motivated by proving he is worthy of the attention.
The Scotland under-21 internationalist did admit, however, that coming up against the club that tried to buy him was the toughest challenge of the last few weeks.
Davidson said: “The hardest game for me was the match against Rangers, with all the speculation going on. But every time I go out on the park I give 100% for St Johnstone and that game was no different.
“The transfer talk was never an issue for me. The manager and the chairman rejected the bid from Rangers so I was never really involved. I have no problem with that.
“I signed a contract with St Johnstone and the chairman was well within his rights to hold out for more money and what he believes I might be worth.
“He has to do his best for the club. As for the bid, that is for other people to discuss, not me, and it’s not as if I wanted away.
“The gaffer warned me the hardest thing would be coping with all the questions from people away from the ground. Friends and family were asking what was happening.
“But I had no problem handling it and the Rangers stuff wasn’t a distraction. It is part of the job and you have to be professional about it.
“When I get back from the injury I intend to show why I have been getting linked with a club like Rangers. I have to take it as a compliment that they put in a bid. If anything, it will spur me on.”
Continued…