Steven MacLean has risen to the challenge posed by new striking recruits last summer.
And he’s ready to do so again.
The Perth frontman, who scored his 15th goal of the season against Celtic on Wednesday night, will finish the campaign as he started it – the club’s main striker.
And the former Aberdeen, Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday player isn’t scared of more competition for places before the next term begins.
A fourth place finish in the Premiership may increase manager Tommy Wright’s close-season budget, but MacLean joked that he can think of a better way to spend it.
He said: “I think they should just give it to us if we keep playing like that!
“Listen, if we sign a quality player we’ll be delighted (as long as he doesn’t take my place).
“Joking aside, when you sign good players it gives the place a lift.
“Plus, when you bring someone in it helps competition for places which is better for the team.
“This season we brought in a couple of strikers and I knew that if I wasn’t playing well or scoring goals I would be out of the team. You have to up your game.”
MacLean, who has scored in his last four games, is happy with his tally for the season with just one game left.
“Fifteen is a good return,” he said. “I went through a wee drought when the team weren’t playing as well but I’ve come again.
“I don’t know if it has been better service or I’m getting in better positions, but long may it continue.
“Since I’ve been here I think I must have had an operation every year, so not having one this season was a good start.”
With the possibility of completing a clean-sweep of post-split wins, there’s no chance of Saints easing off at Tynecastle on Sunday.
“That’s four on the bounce against the top teams in the county,” MacLean said. “Now we want to keep it going against Hearts.
“We’ve got good pros in that dressing room – and young boys – who want to play well for each other.
“Hearts beat us on the first day of the season but we turned them over the last time we went to Tynecastle.
“It will be a tough game but we’ll go there and try to play the same way as we have in the last few games.”
He added: “It’s a credit to the manager and his staff for getting the players we’ve got and then getting us to play in the way we are.
“People want to write us off but we keep proving them wrong. We know we’ve got a good side.
“If we play well nobody likes playing against us.”
In previous seasons fourth would have secured a place in Europe for Saints again.
An all-Championship Scottish Cup final means that won’t be the case this time round and MacLean has mixed emotions.
“We are looking forward to our holidays,” he said. “I’m not going to lie.
“The wives and kids are delighted – mine certainly are because we’re going to Disneyland.
“The European nights are great, especially out at McDiarmid. And if you get a wee night out that’s good too – an unofficial one!
“That will be a miss.
“Seeing eight or 9,000 out there against a Rosenborg or Luzern is brilliant.”
