Sven Sprangler spent the spring in Austria on injury rehab, watching games from Scotland as he followed St Johnstone’s fraught fight against relegation.
Needless to say, a summer in Scotland tuned into Austria games has proved far more palatable.
For while he’s seen his national team play entertaining and winning football at Euro 2024, Sprangler is back in the thick of action himself.
The 29-year-old damaged medial knee ligaments in mid-March in a 3-1 loss at Celtic Park.
He made his comeback on the club’s Highland tour at the weekend, featuring for 45 minutes in each of the two friendly contests against Nairn and Huntly.
His trademark cheery disposition will be all the more obvious if Austria can see off Turkey and reach the quarter-finals on Tuesday night.
The involvement of former teammates Romano Schmid and Florian Grillitsch is another bonus for Sprangler.
He said: “Austria are not surprising me. They’re really playing very well. I love this kind of football.
“They’re playing aggressively, with high intensity. I also played that way in Austria so I know the system and everything that’s come from Red Bull.
“In Wolfsberger FC we played that way, I was there four years. I think Austria can go far, hopefully we can win against Turkey. They absolutely deserve it.
“I played with Romano, who is at Werder Bremen now, for Wolfsberger and was in the national under 18 team with Grillitsch.
“It’s been good to watch. But I’m also a little bit disappointed, my mother is from Czech Republic and they finished last!”
Sprangler made 20 appearances for Saints last term, impressing with his combative midfield performances.
His whole-hearted approach to making a quick comeback before the end of last season just failed.
It was often a tough watch for Sprangler from afar as the team toiled but he was always confident Craig Levein’s men would stay safe in the top flight without him.
He said: “I watched everything on the TV. When you’re not involved, you’re very nervous.
“But I trusted the team completely. I knew we would stay up because of the quality in the team – even in the tougher days. I know it was hard, but I was positive.
“I’d just got back in the side and had started to play when I got injured. But that’s football, it happens.
“After a few days, I had one focus. To be back on the field as soon as possible. It was sad not to return for the last two games.”
Sprangler, who agreed a new one year contract, was thrilled to play again as pre-season cranked up a notch.
“It feels absolutely amazing,” he said. “I am blessed to be back on the pitch. Football is my life; I enjoy every minute being back playing.
“I will trust my knee more and more as I go along and get more strength. For myself, my main target is to be starting games. Maybe I can score and create more goals for the team.”
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