Steven Anderson has vowed to hold back the years for a while yet after deciding to see out his career at St Johnstone.
The 32-year-old central defender, already a club legend after scoring the opener in Saints’ 2014 Scottish Cup win over Dundee United, has agreed a new two-year deal to stay at McDiarmid Park.
Twilight may be close to falling after 16 years at Saints but Anderson insists “there is life in the old dog yet.”
He is backing himself to remain a candidate for Tommy Wright’s first team.
“I’m delighted to get my future sorted out,” said Anderson.
“It was a no-brainer after listening to the gaffer and his plans for the team going forward.
“We have had Jason Kerr and Liam Gordon breaking through and they are the future of the club.
“I am getting older so it is just a matter of time before they take my place but there is life in the old dog yet.
“I am as fit as I have ever been and luckily I have managed to steer clear of serious knee injuries down the years.
“My worse injuries have been to my eye socket and my thumb.
“We have lost guys like Chris Millar and Steven MacLean who have been great servants but they are a few years older than me.
“But you could say it’s a changing of the guard.
“It felt like the end of an era after the last game of the season against Ross County when Midge, Macca and (keeper) Alan Mannus took their final bows.
“Time moves on and it will come to me at some point – just not yet!”
The old season may have barely ended but Anderson is already looking forward to the 2018-19 campaign.
He said: “It is an exciting time for the club and we are going into the unknown in some respects.
“But hopefully the manager will have a few more signings up his sleeve and things will click and we will move on again.
“Everyone knows the budget here isn’t the biggest and clubs like Celtic, Aberdeen, Rangers with Steven Gerrard coming in, Hibs and Hearts will be spending big again I’m sure.
“The highlight of my years here was winning the Scottish Cup four years ago but we have over-achieved for years in the league.
“It was disappointing missing out on the top six last season but you look at Partick Thistle making the top six and then being relegated.
“That shows how well we have done in recent years to be so consistent.
“We aren’t the biggest of spenders but hopefully we can get back into the top six and prove the doubters wrong again.”
