Cup double winner Stevie May can’t believe how much his life has changed since he last played in front of fans.
The St Johnstone striker – who signed a new two-year deal in April – followed up a top six finish under Tommy Wright by claiming Betfred and Scottish Cup medals in a dream campaign under his successor Callum Davidson.
And he became a dad during the pandemic.
“Axel is just 10 months old so he has had a successful time as a St Johnstone fan!” laughed May.
“We will get him into games when we can.
🏆 🏆 pic.twitter.com/310bMgUmQ7
— Stevie may (@Stevie__may) May 24, 2021
“It would have been good to have our kids in for the Scottish Cup final against Hibs but safety came first.
“It went well though. I don’t know if he watched the game but the TV was certainly on.
“I managed to get some photos of Axel with the trophies over the summer. That was a nice little keepsake.
“We will appreciate it even more one day looking back on last season.”
Saints last played in front of their supporters 16 months ago, when Callum Hendry’s late strike secured a 1-0 win over Livingston.
The Perth line-up included Drey Wright, Jason Holt and on-loan Bournemouth midfielder Matt Butcher, who all moved on last summer before Davidson succeeded Wright in the McDiarmid hot seat.
And cup winners Guy Melamed, Craig Conway, Glenn Middleton and Scott Tanser have left Perth.
“We could never have imagined at the start of last season to have that success. It’s a credit to the boys,” said May, who has bagged the new-look number seven shirt.
“Hopefully there are a few more fans willing to come along and the club will reap the rewards.
“We are right into some big games at the start of the season. It’s exciting times for players and fans alike.
“I don’t think we can go into it trying to top last season.
“It would be hard to have success like that again. It had never been seen before.
“We will have a real go at the European games and see how the cards lie after that.
“It would be ideal to get the fans in for these games. A lot of the biggest games and best atmospheres at this club have been in European ties.
“It’s something the fans really appreciate and get up for.”
May famously wore the number 17 shirt when Saints won the 2104 Scottish Cup, on May 17.
But he has opted for a change this term.
And May fired home a treble in the 6-1 weekend rout of Stenhousemuir.
“With Craig (Conway) leaving it was available and I can’t see the 9 and 10 coming up any time soon,” he explained.
“Seven is a number I like and I had it once before in my career.
“But I have changed numbers quite a bit over the years. I’m not superstitious about keeping the same number.
“It worked well on Saturday. Hopefully it works for me every week.”
