St Johnstone loan star Gwion Edwards hopes supporters will think he is worth the wait after revealing he could have signed for Saints last season.
The 19-year-old Swansea midfielder was on Steve Lomas’ radar a year ago but was convinced not to make the switch by the club’s then manager Brendan Rodgers.
It has been all change at the Liberty Stadium under Michael Laudrup since then, however, and Edwards had no hesitation in moving North when Saints called again.
“I jumped at the chance to come up here when the interest was renewed,” he said.
“Saints wanted me to come here last year but I’d signed a three-year contract and my manager then, Brendan Rodgers, didn’t think the timing was right to go out on loan. He wanted me to stay around the first-team squad.
“I signed a three-year deal last year but the manager changed when Brendan went to Liverpool and Michael Laudrup came in. I signed for Brendan before he left for Liverpool and Michael came in so it was a bit like starting all over again.
“Swansea are having a great season so it has been difficult breaking into a team which has a lot of quality players competing for midfield places, including Wayne Routledge, Nathan Dyer and Spanish international Pablo Hernandez, who came in from Valencia.
“But even just training with these guys had helped my game and hopefully I can help St Johnstone make it into Europe again.”
Welshman Edwards, who can play on the left or right, has heard good things about the standard in the SPL and revealed he was sold on the move North by one-time Rangers defender Kyle Bartley.
The ex-Arsenal centre-half slotted in well during his time in Scotland’s top flight and Saints’ newest addition hopes his loan spell will prove to be similarly successful.
“I had a chat with a few people including Kyle, who enjoyed his time in Scotland with Rangers when he was an Arsenal player,” he noted.
“Just before leaving I spoke to Kyle about his time in Scotland with Rangers on loan from Arsenal and he was very positive about the experience.
“He said it was a nice place and it would be good for my career if I get first-team games with St Johnstone between now and the summer.
“He got regular starts for Rangers and that was important for his own development. I know people felt he improved a lot by going up to Scotland and hopefully it will be the same for me.”
Like Saints’ other deadline day recruits Medhi Abeid and Marcus Maddison, the last few days have been fairly hectic for Edwards.
The young winger hopes to settle quickly, however. “It was all left late because Swansea and St Johnstone both had midweek games,” he said.
“It was Thursday before it all came together. I’d had a look to see what the club was all about last year but this is the first time in Scotland for me. I’ve never even been here on holiday.
“Obviously the manager here has brought in the young midfielders on top of the players who were here already.
“But I am ready for the competition. That should be the case wherever you go. Hopefully the three new lads can bring something different to the team and we can help St Johnstone to another good finish in the SPL.”