St Johnstone boss, Simo Valakari, has revealed he tried to sign Livingston forward, Tete Yengi.
And the McDiarmid Park head coach hopes he can put his knowledge of the Australian attacker to good use for Monday night’s Scottish Cup quarter-final in West Lothian.
“Tete Yengi played in the Finnish league,” said Valakari. “He had a very good season when he first came on loan with VPS from Ipswich.
“He was exactly the type of player that I wanted at that time at KuPS. Tete had the qualities I felt would fit very well in my team.
“He wasn’t an out-and-out striker and wasn’t a winger – he was in between.
“He was this No.10, almost No.9 and could play wide too – very good in his link-up play.
“When he got the ball, he turned so well and brought players into play. Or he could go one v one and create the chaos inside the penalty box himself.
“Because of the size of him, he’s very strong at holding the ball up. And he has this aerial power for crosses and set pieces.”
Valakari added: “I tried to get him.
“But when his loan finished, because of his very good season with VPS, he went back to Ipswich trying to get in their team.
“He didn’t manage that at Ipswich and did end up at KuPS later, after I had left.
“I think he might have been frustrated himself that he wasn’t able to fulfil his potential at Ipswich.
“Because he has everything – the physicality, the technical capability, but for some reason it has not been clicking all the way.
“That was many years ago, now he is playing for a different team, so I don’t know if it helps me.
“But, of course, I can pass this knowledge to my players.
“I lost track of where he was.
“Then when we got this draw and I started to study Livingston, I saw his name.
“Football is a small world.”
Semi-final would be a Hampden first
Saints are one win away from playing at the national stadium in a semi-final.
As of yet, Valakari has never even set foot in Hampden Park.
“No, I played against Scotland, but that was at Easter Road,” said the former Finland international.
“It would be a very big thing to get there.
“I have never even been. I have only seen cup semi-finals and finals on TV.
“Our players have played there already (against Rangers in the League Cup) but it would be good to go there in an old traditional competition like the Scottish Cup.
“You don’t get that many chances to play there in the cup because if you lose one game you are out.”
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