Lifelong Liverpool fan, Stephen Duke-McKenna, joked that Brendan Rodgers not being in a chatty mood after St Johnstone beat Celtic a couple of weeks ago didn’t take the edge off a memorable afternoon.
And the on-loan Perth winger would be delighted if the ex-Anfield boss is lost for words again after a second defeat to the McDiarmid Park side in the Scottish Cup.
“Brendan Rodgers was a bit of a star to me because he was Liverpool’s manager, the club I love,” said Duke-McKenna.
“He’s a good manager and I like the way his teams play.
“After the game I went straight to him to shake his hand, but he didn’t say anything to me.
“I think he was fuming they lost!
“I was just glad to meet him so him saying nothing didn’t wreck it for me.
“Even playing Celtic in general was amazing. I never felt I’d do something like that.
“I didn’t think I’d be in Scotland, but football puts you in places you never thought you’d be.
Family pride
“My friends and family told me I should be proud of myself and when we won, I got loads of messages congratulating us.
“Everyone was buzzing for me – playing against a high-level team like that and winning.
“I came here to be able to express myself and play my game.
“So when you play the big teams and get to show yourself on that stage it’s a big bonus.
“I made a clearance as well and that felt like a goal to me – although a few of my mates were wondering what I was doing back there!
“It surprised me a bit myself because I’m not usually that far back, but in games like that you have to do what you need to do.
“Everyone has to put their bodies on the line and give everything.
“I feel like it’s in my DNA as a player to work hard because hard work beats ability, so it’s something I know I’ve got to do.
“That’s what everyone did that day and what we’ll have to keep doing because we want to get out of the relegation places and get through in the cup.
“The win the other week makes us know we can beat them but we’re not stupid. We know what’s coming.
“It’s a bigger game. We’ll have to do it all again and be even better this time.
“But if we get past this one on Sunday, that will definitely surpass it.”
A team on the up
Duke-McKenna has established himself as a first team regular since arriving in January.
The Premiership form table of the last few months suggest Saints would be safe from relegation had they begun the campaign with their reshaped squad.
And that’s how the former Everton and QPR man sees it.
“I have enjoyed every minute of it,” said Duke-McKenna. “Getting game-time and expressing myself.
“The manager has given me a bit of freedom within his structure to try to help the team.
“I feel we’re improving but we’re still in transition because it’s a lot of new players.
“We have a team who can compete but it’s about doing it consistently.
“It’s easy to say, but I think if this team had been together all season, things would be totally different.
“I can see that we’re getting there with what the manager is asking us to do.
“It’s all positive and if we’d had that from the start, I don’t think we’d be near where we are now in the league.”
Conversation