Callum Davidson will make it his priority to create a new generation of Callum Davidsons.
The recently-appointed St Johnstone assistant manager is well aware that the McDiarmid Park youth set-up has failed to produce quality players for the first team, far less earn the club significant transfer fees.
The veteran left-back, who was bought by Blackburn Rovers for £1.75 million in 1998, revealed that making sure there’s a steady stream of under-age players breaking into the top team is part of his job description.
“There’s just been me and Philip Scott really,” the former Scotland man observed. Alistair Stevenson (head of youth development) is back at the club, which is important.
“He’s excellent. We need to help him and show the kids there’s a pathway for them if they work hard and have drive and determination. A club like St Johnstone has to produce more youngsters.”
Davidson is the first team coach, and Alec Cleland the under-20 coach but the 37-year-old explained that the roles will be closely linked.
He said: “The way Tommy has spoken, I think my position and Alec’s will be pretty similar.
“It’s more about title rather than anything else. There will be a big crossover and the two of us will work closely with Tommy as a team. I’ll do a lot with the under-20s as well, which is very important.
“Tommy’s pushing for the two of us to develop the under-20s. He’s briefed us already.”
Davidson had to show some patience over the summer, when he went out of contract, but he admitted the job he has landed wasn’t the one he expected.
He pointed out: “It was a little surprise when I was asked a nice surprise though.
“I’d been in regular contact with the chairman about staying, but without being sure what my position would be.
“He was adamant that I would be kept. I didn’t know if it would be as a player or something else. I thought it might be to do with the under-20s.
“I was waiting to see if the management team wanted me to keep playing, and that would decide my role. I had to bide my time.
“It was a surprise to me that Steve (Lomas) left but it’s opened up an opportunity for me.I was delighted when Tommy offered me this job.
“I’m new to the job obviously and I’ll need help because I will make mistakes. It will be good to have Tommy and Alec there to support me.”
Davidson, who was at Largs recently to gain his A Licence coaching qualification, could yet feature on the pitch.
He said: “When I was offered the job I thought ‘that’s great I can hang the boots up, my back will get a wee rest and I can play more golf’.
“But Tommy’s last piece of the conver-sation was ‘do you mind staying fit for a bit longer?’
“I still enjoy training and playing and I’ll be a back-up. I won’t be a starter. We’ll see how it goes in the first couple of months and if it’s too much, that will be it.”