David Wotherspoon has revealed that he would be open to a North American adventure when his storied spell with St Johnstone comes to an end.
The 31-year-old is assured legendary status at McDiarmid Park following his astonishing exploits last term, winning his second Scottish Cup with the club and lifting the Betfred Cup.
And with Wotherspoon’s contract recently being extended until the summer of 2023, his love affair with his boyhood club will not be ending any time soon.
However, the classy midfielder admits that his exploits with the Canada national team — winning seven caps and recently scoring his first goal for the country — have ignited an interest in playing across the pond.
“That has always been in the back of my mind ever since joining up with Canada,” Wotherspoon told the Northern Fútbol podcast. “I’ve thought about it. I would definitely consider that if the opportunity came along.
“At the moment, that isn’t my pathway. At the moment, I have just signed another two years at St Johnstone and I am thoroughly looking forward to the next campaign and the challenges to come.
“But that [moving to North America] is something I would definitely consider if the chance did crop up.”
David Wotherspoon 🏆🏆 Cup Double Winner#CANMNT 🍁 #SJFC 🔵⚪️ https://t.co/MXbZ3r7KpG pic.twitter.com/DQ8KecJVLC
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) June 2, 2021
And Wotherspoon, a player undoubtedly improving with age, believes he has plenty of time to tick off those career aspirations.
He added: “I want to play for as long as I can — it isn’t a long career — and perform at a high level for as long as I can. I’m thoroughly enjoying my time as a player right now and I want to continue that for as long as my body lets me.”
St Johnstone in Europe
Wotherspoon, while an increasingly vital part of John Herdman’s Canada side, has been left out of the upcoming Gold Cup in the U.S. due to his Europa League commitments with the Saintees.
Callum Davidson’s men will face either PSV Eindhoven, Sparta Prague, Rapid Wien, Galatasaray or Midtjylland in the Europa League third qualifying round, with the ties taking place on August 5 and 12.
And while a daunting list of foes, Wotherspoon reckons St Johnstone’s historic exploits of 2020/21 prove that nothing is impossible.
“We know how tough it will be, regardless of who we get at this stage of the tournament,” continued Wotherspoon.
“However, we have a team around us that gives us the belief that we can go out there, enjoy it and hopefully do something. We didn’t expect to win two cups last year so anything is possible for us.”
Wotherspoon’s focus will then return to international matters in September when Canada tackle the final round of qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — sparking one particular dream for the ex-Scotland under-21 star.
Wotherspoon added: “To play for Canada against Scotland at a World Cup would be something that I would be very proud of. I would enjoy that moment…then hopefully beat them.”
