Michael O’Halloran came to St Johnstone after struggling to make the breakthrough in the English Championship.
But Perth boss Tommy Wright believes the former Bolton player’s career path could be headed back in that direction.
O’Halloran’s pace strikes fear into opposing Premiership defenders according to Wright.
And that speed – coupled with an improved all-round game – could get the forward a second crack of the whip across the border.
“We picked him up when nobody really wanted him and took a chance on him,” Wright said.
“But we knew he had raw pace and there’s nobody quicker in Scottish football.
“He was fast last year but I think this season he’s added another yard to that.
“If you’re a left back or right-back then you won’t be sleeping soundly on a Friday night when you know you’re going to have him running at you.
“Pace frightens people and he adds a real dimension to the attack.
“What we need to do is get a better final ball from him and get people in the box to make the most of it.”
He added: “Michael is at the top of his game so it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets a bit of attention.
“That’s why it was good to get him signed up again.
“But there’s three weeks to go and if someone is doing well then people will be looking.
“He needs to keep that form going for us, he’s set high standards and he’s got to be doing it every week.
“I think he believes in himself more now, he knows we’ve got confidence in him too.
“I have given him a hard time over the last couple of years but that’s because I know how good he can be.
“He could end up back in England eventually because he’s certainly good enough.
“With the pace he’s got he could go to the Championship, he’s got enough quality to play at that level.
“That’s the challenge for him it’s the same for any of them.”
One man who has already moved to England is goalkeeping coach Steve Banks. And Wright expects a replacement to be appointed before the Motherwell match at the weekend.
“Banksy wanted to head back to England, he told me when he signed his new deal that his ambition was to still go back south,” Wright explained.
“He’d enjoyed his time here but from a professional and family point of view he wanted to go back.
“Banksy was brilliant for us, he’s helped the keepers progress and as a player he kept four clean sheets in six games.
“He made a brilliant save at Forfar the year we won the Scottish Cup with the game at 1-0.
“So I’m sad to see him go, but that’s football and we’re hoping to have someone new in later this week.”
Meanwhile, cutting out defensive mistakes is still the recurring them at McDiarmid after the weekend defeat to Dundee.
“I have watched the game back and felt we played well again but the defending has to be better,” Wright reflected.
“I felt the goal Liam Craig scored shouldn’t have been chalked off and after watching it there’s no way it should have been.
“If you look at the Dundee players’ reaction, they think it’s a goal and McPake is shouting at his team-mates. None of them are even looking at the referee.
“So little things are going against us but the positives are that we’re looking good going forward.
“We are being punished for every mistake at the moment but we have to make sure they dry up.
“If you’d told me in the summer we’d have scored six goals in four matches, I would expected to have more points.
“But it’s down to individual mistakes and that’s something we can tighten up. Nobody is feeling sorry for ourselves, the spirit is good and our defending will get better.”
He continued: “Dave Mackay slotted back in comfortably so that’s a massive boost.
“We’re delighted to get him back, he was a bit tight on Sunday but that’s because it was his first 90 minutes in a while.
“And it was good to get Steven MacLean back on the scoresheet. He played very well and it’s good for him to get one.”