Dave Mackay thought he might have made the wrong decision to sign for St Johnstone.
But it didn’t take him long to realise that he and the Perth club would be a perfect match.
The Saints skipper, whose new contract extension means he’ll be a McDiarmid Park player for at least seven seasons, feared the worst in the early days under Derek McInnes.
“When I first signed I wasn’t sure I’d done the right thing because I’d heard all the rave reviews about Gary Irvine,” he recalled..
“He’d been the player of the year the season before and people were talking about him.
“I did wonder if I’d made the right move but I always backed my ability.
“The manager didn’t say anything about guaranteeing me games. He just said I could play across the back so he wanted me here.
“I missed the first game of the season, a 5-0 League Cup win over Stenhousemuir but I was on the bench.
“And I did wonder at that point if I’d made a mistake.
“But thankfully I played the first league game of the season and have been in the side ever since.
“It will be seven years once this contract is up and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it so far.
“I’ve always hung about clubs I’ve been at and I’m delighted things have worked out so well here.
“It has been a great move and hopefully we can have more success in the years ahead.”
The versatility McInnes saw in Mackay has come in useful for several Saints managers, but right back remmains the position he is currently holding down.
He does still see a move into the middle happening at some point, though.
“I enjoy playing at centre-half and it’s something I would like to do,” Mackay pointed out.
“But it’s the manager’s decision and I’ll play wherever he wants me to.
“I think playing there, even though it’s just 20 yards difference, you have to have a run of games to really bed into it.
“Hopefully it’s something I’ll do eventually but that’s a decision for the manager.”
Tommy Wright noted: “I think he feels he can extend his playing career by slipping into a more central defensive role at some stage but Scobbie and Ando have been doing well in there.
“He is doing so well at right back and he is comfortable on the ball. But it’s an option further down the line.”
Wright added: “I’m really pleased we’ve got Dave tied down. I still think he is as consistent, and playing as well, as ever. If he continues in this vein there’s no reason why we won’t extend it for another year.”
The Saints boss also paid tribute to Mackay’s role in the dressing room.
“There are different types of captain,” he explained. “There are the guys that fist pump and get people going.
“And there are captains who lead by example in terms of performance. He is that category.
“But he has grown into the captaincy role and he can also cajole team mates and get the best out of them by being more vocal.
“When he speaks the players listen. He commands respect in the dressing room and he’s a great pro.”