Steven MacLean believes new striker Luke Jephcott has the predatory penalty box instincts his St Johnstone team has been lacking.
MacLean knows what the former Wales under-21 international’s biggest assets are.
And he’ll be tasking Jephcott with giving Saints an end product.
“Luke will bring goals, hopefully,” said MacLean.
“For his size he is a tough boy and he will take a hit.
“He links the play well and looks like a goalscorer.
Luke Jephcott goals for #PAFC pic.twitter.com/vUw6a1HPoq
— Nathaniel 🧡🖤🇹🇷🇨🇴🇨🇮🇲🇱🇮🇷 (@NathanielWhitto) May 25, 2021
“I’ve played in League Two, League One and the Championship.
“I’ve told him it’s different up here – 100 miles an hour – and he knows that. He is excited.
“He can use it as a platform. That is a big selling point for me. Go and show how good you are.
“Luke is still a young boy. He is young enough to kick on and do really well for himself.
“He has potential and has played for Plymouth at a good level.
“He also has the experience of being at Swindon, so he is robust.
“He can play off the front and as a central striker.
“He is a goalscorer. He will not be playing off either side.
“I spoke to a couple of people at Plymouth.
“I had a couple of good reports about him. He just wanted to get up the road and get started.”
MacLean will be delighted if Jephcott builds a name for himself in Scottish football for close-range finishes rather than 25-yard wonder-goals.
“Strikers will score from distance but they are one in 10, 20 or even 30,” he said.
“You get goals in the box and that is maybe what we missed against Stenhousemuir.
“It’s not luck being in the right place at the right time. It’s a knack and is hard to teach.
“We’re not going to be able to pay top dollar for a striker with loads of goals.
“It is up to us to create chances and get Luke in the box.”
Only one
MacLean had hoped this would be a double-signing week but that doesn’t look like being the case now.
“We had agreed with another one but it fell through,” he reported. “That is just the way it is.
“It was done and dusted. Terms were agreed.
“It might be revived because he hasn’t gone elsewhere yet.
“We have a couple of other things happening in the background. We’re working hard.
“We are always pushing to get things done and it is moving.”
