Neither speculative messages from managers nor the return of his St Johnstone team-mates to pre-season training have prompted a Murray Davidson rethink.
The Perth legend knows he made the right decision in hanging his boots up a couple of months ago.
The former Scotland international is retired and it’s going to stay that way.
“You have to get into your head to enjoy pre-season and I used to quite like it,” said Davidson.
“But I have to admit, knowing the boys are out there getting ready for a new season hasn’t bothered me at all.
“I did wonder how I would feel when things started up again but I’m in no doubt I’ve made the right decision.
“I’ve had a few messages from people in the game asking if I’ve changed my mind but even though I love football, and always will, my time is up.
“It’s over to the younger ones now.
“I’ve got my testimonial to look forward to and then I’ll be going back to McDiarmid as St Johnstone’s number one fan for the rest of my days.”
Longevity
The battle to move up the selection pecking order – or stay at the top – defines every summer.
That Davidson emerged from all of them as a key Perth player in the Premiership for a decade-and-a-half fills the 35-year-old with the satisfaction of a job well done.
“Being away from it, I’ve had time to reflect over the last few weeks and the one thing I am extremely proud of is lasting in the Premiership for so long,” he said.
“To play under four managers and not one of them got rid of me, that’s a massive thing for me.
“Having that longevity in the Premiership at a club like St Johnstone, 13 or 14 years, that to me is an achievement because it’s an unforgiving environment.
“In football you see so many players come and go, people do well for a while but can’t sustain it and get moved on.
“I always took it as a personal challenge to try to stay in front of the people managers brought in to replace me.
“So to last for that length of time, I’m proud I was able to do it.
“I genuinely think longevity in football is something people don’t rate highly enough.
“Obviously winning trophies, playing in Europe, getting top six finishes – all that stuff is great and that’s the rewards.
“But the hard work day in, day out goes into keeping your place in the team so to stay at in the top league for a long time is something you have to recognise.”
Always at the top table
Every season Saints start with a ‘the first thing is to stay up’ mantra.
That’s why the seriousness of the club’s predicament two years ago had such a profound impact on Davidson.
And it’s stayed with him.
“Folk think you’re silly when you say beating a Championship team in a play-off was a big highlight compared to the cups and all the European nights,” he said.
“But it meant a lot for me to be able to walk away with St Johnstone still a Premiership team.
“That season when it all came down to the second half of the second leg against Inverness was the only time there was a serious danger of that not being the case.
“People were telling me that my experience would be important for the play-off but it was all new to me as well.
“I was acting like I was in complete control but I knew how difficult the situation was.
“St Johnstone supporters were telling me how worried they were and supporters of other teams were telling me we were going down.
“That all built up to 45 minutes of football. I was so relieved and happy at the end of it.”
A late learner
Davidson’s first manager at McDiarmid Park, Derek McInnes, recently described his 2009 recruit as “one of the best tacklers this league has ever seen”.
The player he brought from Livingston along with Dave Mackay wasn’t a born ball-winner, though.
“I always played two years above my age and was tiny,” he recalled. “People don’t believe but I was until I was 16.
“I was a winger and I was always being booted. It was only when we had an injury crisis at Livi I was pushed into the middle and I played well so stayed there.
“Becoming a central midfielder, I had to learn how to tackle, how to get the timing right. It turned out I was lucky to be able to do it.
“I was always encouraged to get stuck in and I enjoyed that part of the game.”
