sports news: Anderson relishing semi-final chance

St Johnstone’s Steven Anderson is by no means guaranteed to start Sunday’s semi-final and even if he does it might be out of position. Nevertheless, he is counting his blessings in the build- up to Hampden.
Anderson knows he’s luckier than most to be earning his living at a financially-sound club which, for a second successive season, stands just 90 minutes away from the Scottish Cup final— especially when just under four years ago he took a gamble on his future which looked like backfiring badly.
Aged 18, the central defender found himself out-of-contract at Dundee United and satisfied with neither the length nor terms of the new deal put to him by Tangerines boss Ian McCall.
So he turned his back on Tannadice and took up the chance of a trial with Rangers.
Trouble was he failed to win a contract at Ibrox, leaving him unemployed and, to complicate matters, with United entitled to compensation for the loss of his services if he managed to secure a deal at another SPL outfit.
“I went to Rangers for a month and enjoyed it there under John Brown, who I learned a lot from,” recalled Anderson.
“But it was difficult to make an impression at Ibrox and I found myself without a club.
“That was a hard time for me and I don’t mind admitting I was panicking.
“But my agent Martin Reilly got me fixed up with a trial game here, which I did OK in, then I featured in a first-team game as a trialist and John Connolly signed me.
“But then he signed a lot of players that year—and Paul Sheerin, Kevin Rutkiewicz and myself are the only ones still at the club.
“I’ve been fortunate. I know that.
“In the end things worked out for me but a lot of people who do what I did live to regret it and, in the current financial climate within football, I realise I am lucky being at a well-run club like St Johnstone.”
After Saints were so hard done by in losing to Celtic last year, Anderson is relishing the opportunity Sunday’s semi presents.
“I don’t think Celtic got out of second gear that day and we were gutted not to beat them.
“It was a great chance to get to a final and we failed to take it,” he recalled.
“But here we are 12 months on with another opportunity, one where once again we aren’t burdened with expectation
“When you are the underdogs you are free to just go and express yourself.
“And if we do that then maybe we can cause Rangers a problem, although they are flying at the moment.
“We certainly aim to give a good account of ourselves.
“And if we did win it would be the high point of my career. No doubt about that.”