St Johnstone goalkeeper Alan Mannus admits he’s haunted by the fear of a return ticket to part-time football in his native Ireland.
Mannus was an ever-present last season as Saints secured fourth spot and a Europa League place and the emergence of 22-year-old prospect Zander Clark will spur him on in the campaign ahead.
However, the Northern Irish international, who will face Armenian outfit Alashkert on Thursday after returning from a sunshine honeymoon with wife Leanne, revealed: “I have always felt I am only one injury away from being forced to leave full-time football and have to go back to being a part-timer in Ireland.
“People might think I am exaggerating saying that but being a keeper is so precarious.
“Every season when I was playing in Irish football we’d see guys coming back from England and Scotland. It hadn’t worked out for them for one reason or another. I always wanted to get across here and I always said nothing would wreck it for me if the chance did come my way.”
Clark, who was on loan at Queen of the South last term, impressed in this week’s friendlies with Linfield and Glenavon.
And Mannus admitted: “I am expecting a challenge from Zander this season. I have told him he would have no problem playing first team football here.
“If he gets in and plays well he can stay in. But it’s really no different from any other season here. I have never taken my place for granted.
“I have never regarded a squad number, a number one on my back, as counting for anything.
“It would be disrespectful to other keepers here over the last few years to think my place was never in jeopardy.
“When I came in here Peter Enckelman was the first choice and I didn’t get a game for six months. I had watched him playing in the English Premier League and the FA Cup final when I was a part-timer in Ireland.
“We had tough competition and after that Northern Ireland international Johnny Tuffey came in.
“And I always believed Steve Banks could easily come in and hold down a place. I saw what he was capable of in training.
“I suppose my mind set is that if I get injured I might not get back in again.”
Mannus, who will play for Saints against Aberdeen in their friendly against Aberdeen at Brechin’s Glebe Park tomorrow, has watched Clark develop from a skinny kid to become a serious contender for a starting jersey.
He added: “Zander has progressed so much since I came in here. Over the last year he has played regular first team football at Queen of the South, after being out on loan at Elgin before that. There is no substitute for gaining that sort of experience.
“You have to learn to play in games that count, in front of fans and handle making mistakes.
“At his age he needed that loan. Because no one goes to reserve games. There isn’t the same demands.”