Jason Holt has told the Scottish Herald that he would be open to a permanent deal with St Johnstone as his Rangers contract comes to an end.
The 27-year-old has spent the 2019/20 season on loan at McDiarmid Park, turning out 17 times under Tommy Wright.
It was a second successive loan spell for the midfielder, who played in EFL League One with Fleetwood Town last season.
Holt hasn’t featured for the Gers since Steven Gerrard’s arrival at the club and with his contract expiring this summer, he knows his future lies away from Ibrox.
He could be staying in the Premiership, though, as he’s hoping for a permanent contract with the Saints.
“I would love to go back to St Johnstone, they are a great club and I have really enjoyed my time there,” he told the Scottish Herald. “I got on really well with the staff and the players, which is really important when you go to a new club. It was really easy for me to integrate.”
“When I went they hadn’t had a great start to pre-season and the league cup campaign. It was obviously a difficult start, but I knew looking at the squad that it was strong and didn’t reflect where we were in the table.
“It has been quite a turnaround for the team. We always knew that we could turn it around at some point.”
Verdict
It’s perhaps unsurprising that Holt would fancy a return to Perth next season.
He had become a key part of the starting XI in the lead up to the suspension of football amid the global health crisis and St Johnstone produced a good run of results to move up to a highly commendable seventh in the table.
The recent departure of Tommy Wright could put a spanner in the works, though.
The Northern Irishman clearly rated Holt but it remains to be seen who will be appointed as his replacement and whether or not they will feel the same way.
Peter Lovenkrands is said to be a ‘serious contender’ for the post [Daily Record], and if he is recruited, perhaps the Rangers connection would aid Holt’s cause.
