Scott Tanser is more than ready to fight for his spot back in in-form St Mirren’s starting XI.
And the 27-year-old believes he can continue to link up with flying winger Jordan Jones to devastating effect on the Buddies’ left flank.
Wing-back Tanser was forced to sit out Saints’ last three matches with an injury as Jim Goodwin’s side continued their unbeaten start to 2022.
He made a welcome return in Saturday’s 4-0 Scottish rout of Kelty Hearts in Paisley, replacing stand-in Richard Tait and linking up well with Jones as the hosts blew away their League Two opposition.
Tanser hopes he has done enough to wrestle his spot back and feels he can form a lethal partnership with former Kilmarnock and Rangers forward Jones as St Mirren hunt down a Premiership top-six spot.
He told Express Sport: “It was great to be back. Obviously being in the physio room for two weeks, I was missing it but I was glad to get a run out against Kelty.
“Maybe an entire half was a bit more than the gaffer expected me to play, but I enjoyed myself out there.
“I don’t worry too much about getting back in the team. It’s all part and parcel of football.
“You go out of the team, the team starts winning then you’ve just got to take your chance when you get back in.
“I’ve come back in and I think I’ve done well, but it’s up to the manager what team he picks going forward.
“It was great to link up with Jordan, I think we’ll develop a really good partnership.
“We’re both attacking-minded players so I think we’ll create a lot down the left side.”
The Buddies learned last night they’d be facing a trip to Tynecastle to take on Hearts in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup, with the draw held after Dundee toppled Peterhead.
Tanser was an unused substitute in both of St Johnstone’s cup final victories last year, a blow he’s described previously as “hard to take”.
And after avoiding a potential banana skin against Kevin Thomson’s Kelty Hearts, he’s determined to go one better with the Paisley Saints and make a showpiece appearance with Jim Goodwin’s side this season.
Tanser said: “Kelty are a good side. Obviously they’re in League Two, but they can definitely compete higher up in the leagues.
“We said to ourselves ‘go out and be professional, get the win’ and the performance was really good.
“You have to keep playing like you play, don’t drop to their level and don’t to anything they’re doing.
“You have to keep the intensity high and I think we did that. We got our goals, especially in the second half. The quickfire goals helped killed the tie off.
“Then we never really felt threatened at any point.
“I’ve been over the finals that I missed plenty of times. It was tough, but hopefully we can push on and get to Hampden this season.
“Hopefully I’ll get another trip there under my belt.”
