Jamie Murphy has revealed details of the “sour” ending to his St Johnstone career.
Speaking as a guest on the Open Goal podcast, the veteran forward put forward his theory for dropping out of the first team picture towards the conclusion of his one season as McDiarmid Park.
And the reason he gave for it was being just one more Premiership appearance away from triggering an extension for a second campaign with the Perth club.
“Callum Davidson was really good and that was a time when my hamstring started to feel good again,” the 35-year-old, still playing with Ayr United, reflected.
“I did pre-season and everything was going great.
“We had a great group of boys as well.
“We had a lot of golf days because Callum loves his golf – he plays off plus four or something like that.
“We’d all be there warming up and he’d just rock up to the tee – down the middle, on the green, make the putt and carry on.
“We had golf days all the time because he’s so good!”
‘From above’
Murphy added: “I had a thing in my contract where I had to play 25 games to get another year.
“With Callum Davidson I was playing all the time and feeling I was doing well.
“Then I stopped playing – not even getting on the pitch.
“People were getting on ahead of me. I doubt it would have been Callum Davidson or Steven MacLean – maybe it was from above or whatever.
“How many appearances do you think I made? 24!
“It gets to the end of the season and they say: ‘Look, you can’t be in the squad for the last game’.
“I didn’t go back in. That was me, done.
“I got on really well with Callum Davidson, Steven MacLean and Liam Craig. They were all great guys.
“It was just disappointing how it ended. It ended a bit sour but that happens sometimes.”
Murphy made 29 appearances in total for Saints, 24 in the league, during the 2022/23 campaign, which ended with MacLean in charge after Davidson was sacked.
His final game was the 2-0 home defeat to old club, Motherwell.
Saints secured their Premiership status at Kilmarnock the following weekend.
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