Zander Clark is hoping that his lucky charm status at St Johnstone will help keep his place for this weekend’s clash with Hearts.
The keeper, who came in for Alan Mannus against Partick Thistle on Saturday after the Northern Ireland international was laid low by illness, clocked up his seventh league win for Saints in seven appearances.
It is an incredible top flight record, enhanced by the fact that only four goals have been conceded. But, given the standard set by Mannus in the first few games of the season, Clark knows that it might not be enough to keep the former Linfield man on the sidelines.
“I’ve done all I can,” Clark said.
“The saves I made were routine ones but I did my job. It was a clean sheet and a win.
“It will have given the manager food for thought.”
Clark doesn’t have to worry about his 100% Premiership record going unnoticed.
“The boss was saying that to me after the game,” he said.
“The boys have been brilliant with me when I’ve played.
“It’s a good wee record to have and if I get back in on Saturday hopefully it will continue.”
Clark and Mannus were both given starts in pre-season and in the Betfred Cup before Tommy Wright opted for the senior pro when the Premiership got underway.
Clark, who was a first team regular on loan with Queen of the South a couple of seasons ago, didn’t let the decision get him down.
He explained: “It’s obviously disappointing when you’re not playing but it must be a great situation for the manager to have that choice.
“It was his decision and I couldn’t really argue with it.
“Al was at the Euros and he was flying when he came back.
“I just had to knuckle down and wait for my chance, which came at the weekend.
“All I could ask of myself was to play well after getting that chance, which I think I did.”
Wright revealed that he could have risked Mannus at Firhill but it was a sign of his faith in Clark that he didn’t feel the need to.
The 24-year-old said: “Late on Friday afternoon the manager gave me the heads-up that Al wasn’t well and to prepare properly.
“I was obviously delighted to get to play and to get the win.
“It’s great that the manager has got faith in me. That gives me confidence. I believe myself that I can go in and do the job.
“What you do in training is very important. You can easily play your way out of the manager’s plans if you don’t show the right attitude and focus.”
The necessity of a goalkeeper being as adept with his feet as he is with his hands has been a hot issue at the start of this season after Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola decided to overlook Joe Hart and bring in Claudio Bravo.
It is part of his own game that Clark believes is an asset.
“It’s something that we all work hard on,” he said. “The keeper gets a lot more of the ball at his feet these days.
“We’re starting to join in some possession training sessions. That can only be a good thing.
“It’s the way the game is going. Even since I started it has changed. Teams get a lot of joy from passing the ball out from the back.
“We work on it here and I feel we’re doing well with it.”
One of the last matches Hart played in a City shirt was a closed-doors friendly against Saints, and it was an experience that Clark has soaked up.
“I got the second 45,” he said. “It was a great. I got to meet Joe Hart – he played the second half.
“Ferandinho, David Silva and Ihenacho scored past me but I suppose if you’re losing goals they’re not bad players to do it! Aguero didn’t score past me though. I was delighted when he got subbed!
