It is rare to find an SPL footballer who has something in common with Sir Winston Churchill, Lord Byron and King Hussein of Jordan.
St Johnstone’s new signing Michael Doughty can make that claim, though, as a fellow former pupil of English public school Harrow.
Doughty, perhaps unsurprisingly, is bracing himself for some taunts about his rather privileged schooling but he insists he is just one of the boys.
All he cares about is making the most of his loan spell from English Premier League side Queens Park Rangers.
“I am a Harrow boy so I am probably more educated than you guys,” he joked as he addressed the press.
“My family were into football, though, so the rugby and the rowing wasn’t for me. All that stuff was a bit too toffy for me,” added Doughty, whose late father Nigel was the former owner of Nottingham Forest.
Asked if, during his time at Harrow, he was advised to pursue a career other than football, he replied: “This is getting a bit philosophical but I guess with some of them they are a bit ignorant when it comes to that.
“That is just a lack a life experience in my opinion. They just don’t know how to deal with people from different backgrounds.
“I look on it as a blessing that I was fortunate enough to go and mix with different people and I took it upon myself to do that. That made me a more all-rounded individual than some of them who were enclosed.
“You get comments wherever you go and I will get stuff at the football club like ‘posh boy. But that’s all kind of in good fun and good faith and it doesn’t affect me.”
The midfielder made his debut as a substitute against Aberdeen, making an instant impact on a game that the Perth men went on to win 3-1 to go fifth in the table.
He could get his first start when Saints travel to Paisley to take on St Mirren in the William Hill Scottish Cup fifth round.
“I enjoyed it out there against Aberdeen,” said Doughty.
“I think the manager wanted to change the formation in order to match them.
“I wouldn’t say my introduction completely changed it because we did have a foothold in the match at the time, but I guess going like for like in the middle of the park enabled us to get on the ball more.
“So it was a good start for me but, more importantly, the lads got a victory.”
Doughty has a clear idea of what he wants out of the move north, having had a long chat with QPR boss Harry Redknapp.
“What I have been sent here to do is get games,” added the Wales under-21 international. “I am still young so I am still learning the game.
“I have come to a great club with a good, hungry manager in Steve Lomas and I am eager to learn. I didn’t come under any illusions that I will play automatically because I will have to earn that shirt.
“But I am looking forward to the opportunity that lies ahead and want to get as many matches as possible. I got Harry Redknapp’s advice about what I should do and he said to go and play games.
“He spoke very highly of the manager here and from what I have seen so far it is a great opportunity for me to develop and play my football.
“I signed a four-year contract with QPR in the summer so my future lies there hopefully, but football is a precarious sport and there is no certainty over anything.
“I just want to play and see where this gets me.”
Refreshingly, Doughty has already formed a favourable opinion of the Scottish game and his looking forward to his time in Perth.
“I have been impressed,” he said. “There are a lot of quality players at St Johnstone and when you look through the spine of team there are guys there who have been at the club for a long while.
“I think people in England often look at it with disdain for some reason, but my impressions tell me that there is quality.”