The Scottish Premiership’s profile is soaring down south and St Johnstone’s English summer recruit, Michael Coulson, is excited to be a part of it.
Coulson was snapped up on a pre-contract from Jackie McNamara’s York City by Perth boss Tommy Wright well before the end of last season.
So by the time he pulls on a Saints shirt it will have been a long wait for the 28-year-old forward.
And the arrival on the Scottish Premiership scene of Rangers, Joey Barton and Brendan Rodgers has built up the anticipation for Coulson even more.
“I wanted a chance to test myself in a different league and in big games against the teams up in Scotland,” he said.
“It looks a really exciting league next season with Brendan Rodgers going to Celtic, Rangers coming back and signing Joey Barton as well as big clubs like Aberdeen and Hearts there as well.
“It will be great going to places like Celtic Park, Ibrox and Tynecastle – big grounds.
“I played at Wembley for Barnsley but since then I haven’t played in front of big crowds, so it’s going to be unbelievable.
“I just want to come up to Scotland and prove I’m good enough.
“I’d been at York for four years and before that was at Barnsley, so when the chance came up I just wanted a fresh start.
“It’s a massive opportunity for me to come here and show people what I can do.
“This is a completely fresh start, everything will be new to me and I think that’s a good thing.
“You can get stuck in a rut sometimes in football and need something to get you out of it.
“I felt that way towards the end at York because I’d been there four years and was the longest-serving player.
“When I was up at St Johnstone a few months ago people were telling me about what the club is like.
“I’ve heard about how close the lads are, the spirit they have – and the banter they get up to.
“So I’m just looking forward to meeting everyone and getting started.
“It will be a strange experience going into a new club and a new league. I’m sure I’ll have the nerves going.
“But I’m buzzing about it, I just want to get up the road and show people what I can do. I’m refreshed and ready to hit the ground running.”
Saints did everything by the book as far as Coulson’s pre-contract agreement was concerned but York, who ended up being relegated out of the Football League, still had an issue.
“They were not happy about me signing the pre-contract because of the timing of it,” Coulson said.
“Jackie had told me he wanted me there next season but hadn’t put anything on the table.
“So I signed and with the league position it was like a double whammy, so they said a few things.
“But I left on good terms, I think the fans would say I always gave everything for the team during the years I was there.”
Coulson has been doing his homework on his new team and he’s well aware that he’s joining a club on a high.
“I watched out for the team’s results last season and towards the end of the season they were brilliant,” he said.
“So hopefully we can take that into next season and get off to a good start.
“I’m hoping to make an impact straight away. I’m a positive player who likes to get at the opposition. I like to get past people and get my shots away.
“More often than not when I score they are spectacular goals so it’s the tap-ins I’m really needing to work on.
“I usually set myself a target of getting 10 goals but only got seven last season, which is quite bad really, but I’ll be hoping to get double figures this time.
“I’d like to think I’m a hard-working player who does his bit for the team so I think I’ll fit in quickly.”
Coulson added: “I’m moving up to Scotland on Friday and can’t wait to get started.
“I came up for a look around before I signed and then just a week ago my wife and I came back up to look for a house.
“We’ve got one now so we’re just getting ready to move our stuff. The area looks really nice so we’re happy with it all.”
