Callum Davidson has expressed his pride after St Johnstone went toe-to-toe with continental heavyweights Galatasaray — before turning his attention to the fight for a Europa Conference League group place.
The Saintees exited the Europa League following a 4-2 defeat against the Turkish giants on an electric night in Perth.
Davidson’s men succumbed to a couple of moments of magic from their high-profile visitors, with Kerem Akturkoglu particularly potent, and a rare defensive lapse.
Nevertheless, it is an evening that will live long in the memory for those in attendance at a sold-out McDiarmid Park — joining ties against likes of Rosenborg, Monaco and Luzern in the annals of Saints history — and they bow out with pride intact.
“I’m proud of the players,” Davidson told BBC Scotland.
“I thought they battled away and, after two hours of football, we were all square with Galatasaray.
“If you had said that would be the case in the tie, I would have been over the moon because they are a top-quality side.
“Galatasaray are one of the top teams in Europe. They were trying to qualify for the Champions League last week. That’s the difference in level and we saw how they move the ball quickly.
“They kept the ball well, their rotations were fantastic and we had to make sure we were in a good shape — and we limited them to very few chances.
“We got beat but I’m pretty happy with the players.”
European parachute
And the Saints adventure is far from over.
They will face LASK in the playoff round of the Europa Conference League and, while the free-scoring Austrian outfit may not have Galatasaray’s name value, it will be another onerous examination.
But if the Saints can navigate that tie, they are guaranteed European football until Christmas and a truly game-changing financial windfall.
“That was the joy of winning the Scottish Cup — we were guaranteed at least four games, and it gave us the chance to play in a game like this,” added Davidson.
“Hopefully we can go a little bit further in the next tie. We’ll need to stay in the game, work hard again and see where it takes us.”
