St Johnstone are in the middle of the “glory years” in the club’s history, according to Tommy Wright.
Their qualification for European football for four years in a row is unprecedented, and the Saints boss is just as excited about the prospect of the adventure that awaits as he was the first time round.
The draw for the Europa League first round qualifier takes place on June 2, with the matches on July 2 and 9.
It will mean another short summer break, but as Wright has said all along, that’s a small price to pay for the chance to create more special memories.
“It is great pitting your wits against unfamiliar opposition,” he pointed out. “In Scotland there are very few surprises as a player or manager.
“But Europe throws up something different and we relish the challenge.
“We have taken the scalps of teams like Rosenborg and Luzern. The fans enjoyed the trips and the atmosphere on warm summer nights at McDiarmid with a near full house is special. We have some great memories and it would be nice to create more.
“We are also unbeaten away from home and will want that to continue.”
Wright added: “I have been on to change my flights back from holiday and I’m already looking forward to getting back in on June 17.
“There will only be two exemptions Alan Mannus and Graham Cumming are both getting married. They will get a few days extra.
“We are firming-up our plans now for pre-season with Europe a definite.
“The pitch has taken stick but it has been improving year on year. We would have carried out more extensive work on it if we had missed out on Europe but I am happy with the programme.”
Wright was working for the BBC at Saturday’s cup final. With Saints needing an Inverness win, there was no point feigning impartiality.
He said: “I was honest and up front about wanting Inverness to win because of what it would mean for St Johnstone. It was purely selfish. I felt we deserved a little prize for our achievements in finishing fourth after just two defeats in the last 13 games.
“I am delighted for the club, the directors, my staff, the players and the fans. It really is tremendous for us.
“Unlike when we finished sixth and were relying on Hearts to win the cup to get us into Europe, this final was a nervous one for me. Hearts took care of Hibs fairly quickly in that 5-1 final.
“But it was lucky the cameras weren’t on me when Peter Grant equalised for Falkirk. It was a nervous afternoon and at 1-1 and with Inverness down to 10 men it looked odds on Falkirk would take it to extra time, and deservedly so after a decent second half performance.
“So while I tried not to get emotional about it, I was pleased and relieved when James Vincent popped up with that late winner.
“To get into Europe for a fourth year running is just incredible for this football club. These are glory days and I think the fans are enjoying it. They certainly enjoy the European games and I’m exactly the same.”
Saints fans should expect a couple of new faces by the time the European games are played.
“We are still working on signings,” Wright reported. “But we have got a lot of our business done early. We are looking at another striker and a wide player as priorities. We have our targets and want to freshen up the squad.
“I know fans like some gossip over the summer but we try to play our cards close to the chest, as we did with Graham Cumming.
“Kyle McAusland has been in training with us and he did well. He is someone we are keeping an eye on. He can play a number of positions, midfield, right back and even in central defence.”