St Johnstone’s Peter Enckelman knows he cannot afford to rest on his laurels following the arrival of goalkeeping rival Alan Mannus at the club.
The Finnish international is well aware that Mannus, who joined from Shamrock Rovers, has not come just to make up the numbers at McDiarmid Park.
Despite posting a fine individual performance in defeat on Saturday against Rangers, Enckelman admitted he can take nothing for granted with such a quality keeper desperate to take his place between the sticks.
“Alan is a quality keeper and has a lot of experience,” he said. “He is a good guy, and whoever is playing will get the full support of the other.
“You need competition for places at any football club and the goalkeeping position is no different. It will be healthy for both of us but we know only one can play.”
Enckelman pulled off a string of outstanding saves against Rangers to keep the scoreline at a respectable level, but he admitted that was scant consolation.
“The team lost and I conceded two goals,” he said. “Maybe later on I can look back on my own performance, but it was a defeat and that is disappointing, especially in our first home game.
“But we played well for big parts of the match and we are judging ourselves against the team which won the league last season.
“We also have new players and some of them are only just here.”
Saints’ next game is not until August 13 against Dunfermline, with this weekend’s fixture with Hibs put on hold as the Easter Road side have been given permission to play a friendly with Sunderland.
Enckelman’s boss Derek McInnes admitted he would have preferred to have been involved in SPL action on Saturday.
The enforced break has given his side some valuable breathing space to bring new recruits such as Francisco Sandaza and Cillian Sheridan up to speed.
“We would obviously have liked to have been playing a league game this week,” the manager said. “However, we have known about this for while and it gives us an opportunity over the next 12 days to work on fitness of some of the lads who have come in and have not had much of a pre-season.
“So, we have organised practice matches this week and next,” McInnes added.