Danny Grainger has joked about being the toast of McDiarmid Park after his first goal for Hearts helped put St Johnstone into Europe.
The former Saints defender had a fine game as the Jam Tarts destroyed Edinburgh rivals Hibs 5-1 in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden on Saturday.
Grainger, who moved to Tynecastle last summer, netted from the penalty spot early in the second half to grab his side’s crucial third goal to snuff out Hibs’ hopes of ending their 110-year cup hoodoo.
Hearts’ win means Saints are heading into continental competition for only the third time in their history, the others being the Fairs Cup in season 1971-72 and the UEFA in 1999-2000.
Courtesy of finishing sixth in the SPL and Rangers being excluded due to being in administration, Steve Lomas’s side claimed Scotland’s fifth spot.
They will now enter the Europa League at the second qualifying stage, with their matches to be played on the consecutive Thursdays of July 19 and 26.
The draw for both their round and the first qualifying one will be made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on June 25. Among their potential opponents are Sparta Prague (Czech Republic), Rapid Vienna (Austria), Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) and Sligo Rovers (Republic of Ireland).
So there is plenty to look forward to over what will a short summer for St Johnstone and Grainger is happy for his former clubmates.
”I am delighted for them that they are in Europe,” he said. ”They had a good season and it’s great they have achieved that. Maybe the Saints fans will get off my back now when I play against them but I can’t see it!
”I still know a lot of the St Johnstone players and a few of them have been on the phone already to congratulate me. I have been telling them they are due me a pint for helping them qualify for Europe!”
Saints boss Steve Lomas stressed that the journey back into Europe should be seen as a reward for the season overall and not tarnished by what was a poor post-split spell for the club, when they lost all five games.
”I would have loved to have gotten there off our own backs but that doesn’t mean I am anything other than delighted to be in Europe,” said Lomas.
Continued…
”We have to view it as a reward for what has been a good season overall for us and the players deserve it for the work they have put in since August.
”We had a lot of issues to deal with after the split, with injuries and suspensions, but we should not let that disappointing finish overshadow things. We deserve to be there.
”It was a stressful afternoon for me on Saturday because I was flipping back and forth between the cup final and the English Championship promotion play-off final, where my former club West Ham were playing Blackpool.
”Thankfully I got the results I wanted in both games. Now we can look forward to Europe and I hope and believe the fans will have a great time when we get things under way.”
With the close season being curtailed, Lomas is having to look at his options.
Saints had planned to go to Northern Ireland for training and perhaps a couple of games before European qualification was clinched and Lomas still hopes to squeeze in a short trip to his homeland.
So Scotland’s representatives in Europe will be Celtic and Motherwell in the Champions League, while Hearts (play-off round), Dundee United (third qualifying) and Saints will fly the flag in the Europa League.