Callum Davidson says he has missed chatting to former team-mate Liam Craig in the car on the way to training.
But he hasn’t been tempted to give him a call ahead of their teams’ clash at Easter Road on Saturday.
The Saints assistant coach said: “Liam and I are good mates and we usually talk every few days. But that isn’t happening this week.
“I have always made a point of not talking to a friend in the opposition camp in the run-up to any match. That’s the way it has been throughout my career and it won’t change for Liam.
“That keeps it safe. Neither of you can be tempted to ask about injuries and line-ups. Nobody gets into trouble that way. If I see his number coming up I’ll just ignore it!”
He added: “Liam was a valuable player for St Johnstone over many years and his stats were impressive. He scored a lot of vital goals for us and maybe we have struggled to replace him in the wide-left role.
“He was good for me when I came back up the road from England, helping me settle in quickly.
“He has an amazing memory. He can remember every minute of every game. At least of his own game! I miss that chat in the car on the road to training. To be fair, he had stats on every player in Scotland.”
Davidson believes that, in Craig, Terry Butcher selected the right man to have as his captain.
“I was pleased for him getting his move to Hibs and delighted that Terry has made him captain after coming in from Inverness,” he said.
“Liam is a sensible guy and not the sort who lets pressure get to him. He leads by example in games and every single day in training. That is probably what Terry believed he would bring to the role.
“Terry probably looked at the way he conducts himself off the pitch as well.
“He has shown tremendous faith in Liam and is playing him in a more central role, which is probably his best position despite the shift he can put in on the left.
“Liam insists he lengthened my career by a year at Perth because he did all my running on that left flank. Ironically, he always seemed to score against Hibs. Maybe that is what prompted them to sign him.”