Joe Shaughnessy was bracing himself for a spell on the sidelines after swapping Aberdeen for Perth.
So the St Johnstone defender is delighted to have nailed down a regular start under manager Tommy Wright.
And he’s eager to add to that tally as Saints push for a fourth place finish.
Shaughnessy said: “Our form at the start of the season turned out to be good enough to make the top six again.
“We stumbled over the line by losing to Dundee United and Kilmarnock but we got top six anyway and that was the aim back at the start of the season.
“We picked up good results, like away to Hearts and a 5-1 at Aberdeen. We broke a club record with seven away wins in a row and that’s what got us into the top six again.
“We had a really good first half of the season, probably much better than we had expected. I’m not sure what happened after that but we hit a bad patch.
“There’s disappointment at realising we can’t make Europe again even if we can finish fourth.
“But finishing fourth would still be a huge achievement for a club of our size and we should be looking to get there.
“That is still a big incentive for us. You want to put in good performances in the closing matches. We aren’t happy just finishing in the top six.
“We want to be as high up as possible so fourth has to be the target for us and for the fans.”
Shaughnessy’s consistency, either at right-back or in central defence, makes him a leading contender for Perth player of the year awards
He said: “My first year has gone even better than I could have hoped because I didn’t play a lot last year.
“I came in and my first aim was to get into the team. But I played from the start, including Europe, and have pretty much stayed in the team all through.
“I didn’t think I would move into central defence at this stage of my career. I’ve never had a run of games in that role.
“But I am enjoying it in there and I think I have been doing pretty well.”
Shaughnessy is set to renew his partnership with Steven Anderson against Aberdeen on Friday, with the long-serving centre-half returning after a hamstring injury.
“Ando has been good to play alongside. We had built-up a good understanding before his injury. That can only get better, the more we play together,” said Shaughnessy, who has been targeted by Wright for an extended deal.
“I still have another year on my contract and I am happy to be here for at least another 12 months. It’s not on my mind,” he said.
“But the manager has mentioned he’s happy with me so hopefully something can be sorted out.”
Shaughnessy admitted squaring-up to his former club had added significance earlier in the season.
He said: “My first game against Aberdeen was a big one for me because I had been there for so long. But now it’s just another game.
“They will want to come here and get a win. But we are also looking for three points.”
