It says everything about the calibre of player St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright has at his disposal this season that neither of the two men called up for international football last week started for their club side before they left.
One half of the Northern Ireland duo, Paul Paton, was under no illusion about what he was signing up for when he joined the club in the summer.
But the former Dundee United and Partick Thistle man has backed himself to become a first team regular at McDiarmid Park.
“I knew when I signed that I wouldn’t be an automatic pick every week,” he said.
“The manager has boys here who he has trusted and relied on for years. There was nothing to say I was going to come in and roll straight into the team.
“I need to fight for my place and I know I’m capable of doing that.
“I’ve had a couple of decent performances but it’s always hard for a player in my position to steal headlines the way I play.
“I’m not a goalscorer, I’m not a dribbler, I’m not going to have everybody off their seats.
“But I’d like to think that the games I’ve played in I’ve worked hard for the team. Any time I do play you know I’ll give 100%.”
Paton added: “If I’m not in the team there’s nobody to blame but myself.
“I’ve got to get in the team and stay in it.
“I felt I was playing well and the manager decided to change it for the game on the astro (Hamilton) and the boys got a positive result. Then they beat Ross County away.
“If the manager sticks with the same team I’ll be unhappy but I’ll have no complaints.”
Paton, who was United’s captain and leader before he left Tannadice in the summer following their relegation to the Championship, is happy he chose the right club for his next move.
“I’m enjoying it here,” he said. “It’s a lot closer to home. I was travelling from Linwood to St Andrews every day and that was taking me three hours most days.
“There was a lot of stress on me mentally and physically.
“Everything’s a bit more relaxed here. Travelling’s better for me and I’ve got more time with my family.
“I wouldn’t say that last season scarred me mentally or drained me. I don’t know how to reflect on it. It was obviously a massive disappointment. It’s a club that I love and had good times at.
“When I came back from injury I gave my all and got a player of the month award. I can look myself in the mirror and say I gave everything.
“To have a relegation on your CV is a massive disappointment but I can’t dwell on it. It’s gone. I’m thinking about the present.
“I’m really happy here and it’s been a good start to the season.
“Hopefully we can get some more points and reflect when we get to the end of the first quarter.”
Part of Paton’s reasoning behind calling it quits with United was making sure he stayed in Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland plans.
He said: “I felt that if I dropped to the Championship I might be out of the reckoning because Northern Ireland have such a strong squad now.
“Maybe that wouldn’t have been the case. John McGinn is getting into Scotland squads. I just thought that the midfield area with Northern Ireland is so good that if I dropped down the divisions it could have been the last of me.
“It’s the pinnacle of anybody’s career to get called up for the national squad.
“There’s a bit of realism on my part that I’m not a big player with Northern Ireland and that I won’t go there and play every game. Just to be part of the squad and part of the team spirit means a lot to me.”
Paton admitted that he has had to do some homework on today’s McDiarmid opponents Kilmarnock.
“I don’t know a lot of their players but I’ve tried to watch a few of their games,” he said.
“They look like they’re fighting for their manager. Boydy is an unbelievable goalscorer and the lad Coulibaye has scored some spectacular ones. We know we’re in for a tough game.”
Tam Scobbie and Keith Watson are still out for Saints.
