Facing Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha with Millwall was a daunting pre-season challenge for on-loan St Johnstone defender Alex Mitchell.
That one v one summer battle might not have played out as the 21-year-old would have wanted.
But it was the sort of elite standard learning experience a young professional craves.
And the 21-year-old is ready to go back into deep waters at Ibrox this weekend and try to pull off another formidable task – keeping the Rangers attackers quiet.
Asked how he got on against Premier League great, Zaha, a couple of months ago, Mitchell admitted: “Not good!
“But that’s the level you have to reach.
“We didn’t actually do too badly as a team. We lost 5-4. I wasn’t happy with myself but you learn more from facing an opponent like Wilfried Zaha because you realise what it takes to be at the top level.
“I remember facing Alexandre Lacazette when we played Arsenal on pre-season. You don’t do well against these kind of players but you learn from them and hopefully when I get to their age I’ll be able to compete.
“I’m really looking forward to taking on Rangers and their big players. I’m realistic but I’m also confident in my own ability and the team’s ability.
“It’s 11 v 11 on the pitch and I don’t see why we can’t challenge them.
“I think that’s the best way to be. If you go there not looking to win then what is the point?
“Danny McNamara told me playing at Ibrox was incredible – and that was when there were no fans allowed in.
“I’m getting goosebumps about it now.”
Saints/Millwall five-a-side team
Mitchell’s ‘respect but no fear’ mindset is one that served McNamara, one of several players to make the switch from Millwall to McDiarmid recently, so well in his short but impressive time with Saints.
“The number of boys I spoke to who have been here could make up a five-a-side team!” he said.
“Danny has been great with me.
“He said nothing but positives about coming here. He did really well and look at him now – he’s one of the first names on the Millwall teamsheet.
“Even Hayden (Muller) was so complimentary about the club. He said: ‘It’s great and if you get game time, you’ll be improving so much as a footballer’.
“I don’t think there was a negative thing about the club from anyone I spoke to.”
Loan experience
One of the key differences between McNamara and Muller when they joined Saints was one had loan spells under his belt and the other hadn’t yet been exposed to men’s football.
Mitchell’s career story is closer to the former’s.
“Look, football is football,” he said.
“Sometimes it doesn’t work out. Hayden is a top player and if anything, a better player than myself.
“It just didn’t work out.
“The stuff he told me, I can benefit from it.
“When you’ve been on loan a couple of times, it works in your favour.
“You embrace what you’re not used to.
“You make an awkward situation into a good situation. The lads here, though, have been so good with me.
“It’s not been an awkward one at all. I’ve come here with a little bit of a CV, a bit of experience and that’s worked to my benefit.”
Mitchell added: “I did alright at Leighton Orient and League Two was a good league. But I wanted to challenge myself 500 miles from home in the top flight of Scottish football against teams like Rangers and teams in the lower half in a proper dog fight.
“There’s a good variety of opposition.
𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 – 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹
A fighting performance that earned us all three points 👊#SJFC | @spfl | @motherwellFC pic.twitter.com/7hWA4SGJPN
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) August 10, 2022
“You’re playing Motherwell and it’s a physical battle, then you play Rangers and it’s more a tactical and mental battle.
“It’s a great place to improve as a player.”
Mitchell has had the club captain, Liam Gordon – the centre-half he’s keeping out of the team just now – in his corner.
“Gordy is a top guy,” he said. “He’s helped me out with everything to be honest – on and off the pitch.
“Before the game, he’s talking to me about what I should do during it.
“Off the pitch he’s telling me everything to help me settle.”
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