Paddy Cregg insists St Johnstone’s results over Celtic last season mean there is no reason why they can’t progress in the Europa League.
The midfielder, who agreed a new one-year deal with the club on Tuesday, will be part of the Perth squad embarking on their second successive continental adventure next month.
St Johnstone, who played Eskisehirspor from Turkey last season, will face the winners of the first-round qualifier between part-time Northern Ireland outfit Crusaders and Euro cracks Rosenborg from Norway.
The two sides met at the same stage last season, with the Scandinavians running out comfortable 4-0 aggregate winners.
They will start as firm favourites to progress again this time and would then face Saints in Trondheim on July 18, with the return leg in Perth a week later.
The bookies will almost certainly install the Norwegians as near certainties to turn over Tommy Wright’s men.
However, Cregg says Saints’ one win and a draw record against the Hoops, who beat Barcelona last season and progressed through to the knock-out stages of the Champions League, means they have nothing to fear.
He said: “I think it is a good draw. It is quite fortuitous as we would much rather have a Scandinavian team than one further away.
“With the greatest of respect to Crusaders, you would expect Rosenborg to beat them, especially as they won 4-0 over the two legs last season. They will have played a lot of games before they face us which will be a bit of a killer fitness wise.
“But I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t beat Rosenborg. I can’t see them putting a lot of emphasis on creating stuff from the back and I think they will be more direct than a team like Eskisehirspor. Their movement was very good and they were always looking to find bits of space.
“It was very hard to keep your concentration and not to get sucked out of position. I would imagine that Rosenborg’s ball retention wouldn’t be as good as a team from Turkey. So I think they will suit us a lot better.
“The other way we have to look at it is, ‘Would Celtic beat Rosenborg?’.
“I think they would go through comfortably yet we managed to beat and draw with Celtic last season. So I think it is a great draw for us.”
Cregg admitted he was delighted to sign a new deal with Saints and is now looking to make a big impact in the coming season.
He said: “I spoke with the club before I left on holiday and they said they were going to be offering me something. I wasn’t overly worried when I heard that Steve Lomas had gone to Millwall.
“When Tommy got the job, he phoned me and said we would still get something sorted which was a boost for me as it wiped away any uncertainty.
“So it was only a matter of getting it sorted out this summer. A lot of lads I know have found it very difficult (to get clubs) so you just have to work hard and not take things for granted.
“I made it clear that I wanted to stay here and it gives me a bit of stability.
“I am looking forward to getting back training and see where my fitness is. I want to really kick on this season.”
* Ross County have denied making a £40,000 payment to keep skipper Richie Brittain in Dingwall.
A Staggies statement read: “Contrary to reports in this morning’s media, Ross County Football Club would like to state that no transfer fee was paid to St Johnstone Football Club for the services of Richard Brittain.
“Our chairman paid a small contribution to their community programme.”