Rutkiewicz's musical numbers

Oct 6 2009 by Johnathon Menzies, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

Dinky’s musical numbers

ST JOHNSTONE captain Kevin Rutkiewicz is spending the international break working on his album but admits the prospect of hearing his name announced in the starting eleven once more will be music to his ears.

The 29-year-old defender managed 75 minutes of a closed-doors game last week and will test out the knee injury that has kept him on the sidelines when the men from McDiarmid travel to face Turriff Utd tonight.

And, although confessing his six-track solo record has kept him busy during his time on the treatment table, the former Aberdeen man insists he can’t wait to put his hobby on the back burner once more.

He said: “The international break’s come at a good time for me because it gives me a chance to go away and work on my fitness, so hopefully I’ll be in contention in the lead-up to the Rangers game in a fortnight.

“This has probably been more frustrating than when I was out after my ankle reconstruction because this has been such a niggling injury.

“It’s been more of a mental thing than when I was out the year before last.

“I’ve had plenty of practice in terms of how to keep yourself busy when you’re injured, but this one has been doubly hard to take because of us being back in the SPL,” he said.

A goal from Steven Anderson – only his fourth strike in five years at the club – and a spectacular effort from summer recruit Danny Grainger ensured Saints notched their first win of the season against Hamilton on Saturday.

And Rutkiewicz claims one of the most pleasing aspects of securing a victory over Billy Reid’s side – in what was their seventh game back in the top flight – was proving the Fair City side have more than one weapon in their SPL arsenal.

He said: “I don’t think we’ve had the rub off the green so far this season, we could’ve had about 12 points if decisions had gone our way.

“We’ve been taught a harsh lesson so far this season. Regardless of how well we’ve played there’s certain things we have to do to get the points on the board.

“This year we’re not going to get away with things we might have done last year. If we make mistakes, we’ll get punished.

“The conditions against Hamilton weren’t conducive to a good game of football but we ground-out the result and it shows we can mix it and play different ways if we have to.

“People have spoken highly about the way we’ve played until now. But it was good to mix it and get our first win out of the way.”